


love is so good when the love is young

by drunkonyou



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Bottom Harry, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hand Jobs, Insecure Harry, M/M, Male Lactation, Mpreg, Mpreg Harry, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Pregnant Harry, Pregnant Sex, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Smut, Strangers to Lovers, Top Louis, harrys ex was an asshole, just a bit tho, louis is a sap, this fic is so long rip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-08-13 05:48:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 38,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7964842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drunkonyou/pseuds/drunkonyou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis falls for his pregnant best friend who has a bit of baggage. They make it work though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	love is so good when the love is young

**Author's Note:**

> This is legit the longest fic I've ever written and I'm so proud of it???
> 
> A little disclaimer, Anne is kind of an asshole in this fic but just know that I do not see her that way irl
> 
> Title from Suburbia by Troye Sivan
> 
> Enjoy!!

Louis pulls his car keys from his back pocket with slightly sweat-sticky fingers as he exits the store and walks back out into the blazing heat. For only the end of May, it's excruciatingly hot and he only hopes that the rest of the summer isn't as brutal. That would be a miracle. He beeps his car twice so he can spot it from the other side of the parking lot and starts towards it, swinging his plastic bag in his hand.

As he's throwing his single bag into the passenger seat, he notices a guy at the car next to his attempting to lift a large bag of dry cat food from his cart and into the trunk. Louis looks over the brim of his sunglasses and feels the spike in his pulse at the strangers drop dead gorgeous looks. There's a new wave of perspiration prickling on the back of his neck and he doesn't know if it's from the peaking heat or from long chestnut hair tumbling over broad shoulders under a white stretched-taught T-shirt. It's only when he notices the boys pregnant belly under the white T-shirt does he stop ogling and propel his legs forward to help him. He wants to get home, but- he's a good person.

"Here," he says, taking the bag of cat food from the metal cart and hoisting it into his trunk next to his other groceries.

The boy blows out a breath and pushes his hair off his forehead. His temples are shiny with sweat. "Oh, uh, thanks. Bloody things are heavier than they look."

Louis waves, smiling. "No problem, mate. You shouldn't be lifting things like that while you're pregnant anyway," he gestures to his stomach, feeling a pinch in his chest at the sight. It most definitely is not disappointment.

The boy looks down and cocks a brow. "I'm not pregnant."

Louis freezes. _Fucking hell-_

He suddenly laughs, hand on his chest. "I'm just pulling your leg, mate," he rubs the swell of his belly like Beyoncé at the 2011 VMA’s. "Definitely pregnant."

Louis runs his hand through his damp hair and groans, relief washing over him like a fucking tidal wave. "Christ."

"You should've seen your face though," he says gleefully, shutting his trunk.

"That was absolutely cruel," and slightly genius.

He laughs lightly again. "A great icebreaker though, huh?" He thrusts out a hand (His fingers are so _long_ ). "Harry Styles."

Louis shakes it. "Guess it is. Louis Tomlinson. How far along are you?" He wants to go home, but anyone who can pull a prank on him as a first impression is worth talking to for a few minutes. Especially pretty boys with big hands.

Harry places a palm over his bulbous stomach and Louis notices how his shoulders fall infinitesimally. Huh. Odd. "About twenty-two weeks. I'm due the beginning of September."

Louis smiles, fingering the set of keys in his hands. "Aw, that's nice. Got yourself an end-of-the-summer baby."

Harry returns the smile, tilting his head a bit. His teeth almost glint in the midday sunlight. "Yeah."

"So are you here with your husband then?" He asks. The peak of his scalp is starting to burn from where they're standing under the sun but he decides he likes Harry so he'll suffer through.

The corners of Harry's mouth turn down a bit. "Oh, I don't- I'm not married.”

Louis feels a flush creep up his neck. This time Harry wasn't pulling his leg and he wants to kick his own arse for embarrassing himself again. And putting Harry in such an uncomfortable position. "Oh," he nearly stutters. "I didn't- I'm sorry," maybe he should've left when he had the chance. His chivalry will be the death of him.

Harry waves a hand with a dismissive crease between his brows. "No, it's- it's fine. I'm- yeah."

Louis doesn't know if he's making anything better by saying, "you're doing this on your own then?"

No, of course he's not. A sweet, attractive guy like this has to at least have a boyfriend, right?

"Uh, yeah. Just me, myself, and I."

And- oh. He really is all on his own.

"But it's fine," Harry assures halfheartedly. "I'm alright on my own. I've got a few friends…and stuff."

Louis gives a weak smile and claps him on the shoulder gently. "That's good, I'm glad," he really wants to get home and crack open a nice cold beer, but he really doesn't want to abscond right after Harry tells him just how single he is, so he offers on a whim, "do you…need any help with anything? Because I've got six younger siblings back home so I'm quite good with babies and stuff. Maybe you could, like, just give me a call or something? If you ever need anything?"

"Oh," Harry said, taken aback. "You don't- really? I mean, that's very sweet of you, Louis."

He shrugs, nonchalant, but really, he surprised himself by being so forward. Maybe he just empathizes with Harry being a single dad because he reminds him of his mum and how she took care of so many kids on her own. Or maybe he just wants to make a new friend. Probably the latter.

"Of course, yeah," he says, nodding. "I'd be happy to help. I mean, you shouldn't have to go through a _pregnancy_ on your own. I know you said you have friends and all, but-" what the hell is he saying? "I don't know," he laughs, embarrassed.

Harry smiles an award-winning smile, a single dimple denting his rosy cheek. "I'm glad to have met you. You're a real sweet guy."

Louis bites back his own smile. "Thanks, mate. You don't seem too bad yourself."

Harry gives a little hesitant laugh and pulls his cellphone from his back pocket, handing it to Louis. "Here, so you can plug your, um, number in."

Louis grabs the phone from him and types his ten digits into his contacts under the name _Louis :),_ then passes it back to him.

"There," he says. "If you ever need anything," his palms feel even sweatier.

Harry grins and gestures to his car. "I better get going or else my cat is going to be pissed if I don't get that food back to her."

Louis laughs and picks his bag up from where he set it on the ground. "Same with my roommate."

Harry smiles again, hand on his belly. "Alright, well, I'll talk to you soon…maybe?"

Louis nods. "Sure, yeah. Whenever you need me, I'm there."

He might be mistaken, but he could've sworn he saw Harry blush.

Harry thanks him again, smiles one last time, and hoists himself into the driver’s seat of his car. Louis waves and grabs the metal cart he left behind and starts to push it towards the little roofed depository at the end of the parking lot.

He's nearly out of ear shot when Harry calls through his window, "oh, I forgot all about that thing! Sorry, Louis. Damn pregnancy brain."

Louis just waves him off and gives him one last smile before walking away.

_******* _

Harry drags his few groceries up the stairs to his apartment, sort of wishing the cute boy from the super market were here to help him.

God, he was so…

 _Fit_. Louis was fit as a fiddle and Harry gets a chill up his spine just thinking of the way his muscles rippled beneath the skin of his forearms when he lifted the cat food bag into his car and how sweat beaded at his hairline and-

And he needs a good wank.

 _Disgusting_ , he thinks. Pregnancy hormones are disgusting. And add that to a still fresh broken heart and he's got a lethal combination on his hands. What is he even doing getting feelings like this? Hasn’t he learned his lesson?

"Well," Harry looks down at the cat circling his legs. "I'm going to go take a cold shower and most definitely _not_ think about the hot guy from Tesco."

_******* _

"I met a cute boy at the store," Louis moans when he walks through the front door of his apartment. He pulls out the pack of bar soap they needed and two Snicker's bars that they didn’t need from the plastic bag and sets them on the kitchen counter.

Niall glances up at him from where he was perched on the couch, fingers flying over the buttons of his controller as he plays _Grand Theft Auto_. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Yes!" He walks over to him with the two candy bars, dropping one into Niall's lap. "A very bad thing."

"Why's that," Niall asks absently.

Louis rips open the packaging and shoves half of it into his mouth before answering. "Because he's pregnant. And way out of my league. You should have _seen_ him; I can hear Zeus crying all the way from Mount Olympus.”

It's then that Niall decides to pause his game and rip open his own Snicker's. "Don't be a home-wrecker, bro," he laughs.

Louis looks at him, lips sticky with caramel. "Who do you think I am," he asks, mouth full.

Niall shrugs. "I'm sorry for your loss then. What'd he look like?"

Louis feels a little breathless as he recalls Harry's gorgeous brown hair and brilliant green eyes and- his pregnant belly. He sighs. "He was super fit. Good sense of humor too."

"But he's married."

Louis shakes his head, feeling a bit guilty at the twinge of hope in his chest when he remembers Harry's bare left finger. "Nah, he’s completely single.”

Niall taps his fingers on his thigh, swallowing the last of his candy bar. "How pregnant is he?"

"A bit over five months, I think."

"Hm," Niall hums thoughtfully. "I say you go for it."

Louis looks at him, brows pinched. "Go for what? He's having a _child_ , Niall." He's- he's off-limits, right?

"So? Give that kid a step-daddy."

Louis can't help but to laugh. "I literally just met the guy today, Ni."

He shrugs his shoulders. "He could use someone like you. You're father material."

He sighs again. His throat burns from the chocolate and he's itching to grab a beer from the fridge to wash it down. "I offered him my help if he ever needed it so I don't want to take advantage of that by coming on to him."

"Did you get his number?" Niall asks.

"He has mine."

Niall just grins and unpauses his game.

_******* _

"Did you clear your cubby out yet?" Niall asks as he uses the eraser to clean up the chalkboard surrounding the SmartBoard.

Louis pushes his glasses further up his nose as he gazes at the absolute mess in his classroom. The last bell only rang a few minutes ago, and it being the last day of school, his students decided to leave everything behind. And he means _everything_ ; there's a whole backpack sitting under one of the desks.

"Nah, I'll grab my shit when I leave. Ni, you don't have to do that," he says, sighing.

Niall shrugs. "Already cleaned up my office. The janitors will get everything else."

"Did you grab your snacks from the top drawer?" Louis asks, smirking at him. There's always that one teacher who slips his students sweets before class, and Niall just so happens to be him. No matter how many times Louis tells him that it's probably not the best idea for a P.E. teacher to be giving his kids candy.

Niall drops his hand from the board. "Shit."

So they grab their briefcases and other personal belongings and head down to the gymnasium. The janitors won't mind cleaning up one more classroom, will they?

When Niall lets them into his office, he immediately heads for his desk and retrieves the bag of mini Kit-Kat bars and honey roasted cashews inside the drawer. And the plethora of candy wrappers that have been there since Halloween.

"Now I know what you'll be doing this summer," Louis laughs.

"Damn straight," Niall says, shutting the drawer with his hip. "Gonna let meself go. Or maybe I’ll get a summer job somewhere, I haven’t decided yet. What're you gonna do, Tommo? Any plans?"

"Chilling at home with you, most likely."

Niall shoves the food into the pocket of his cargo shorts and gives Louis an amused look. "Well, I for one am not staying home day in and day out. Go out and do something, Lou. Go on vacation, volunteer somewhere, _fall in love_."

Louis actually laughs at that. "Doubt that'll happen."

_******* _

It's a few weeks later, almost a month, when Louis comes in contact with Harry Styles again. He's, coincidentally, at the same supermarket (picking up a pack of cigarettes this time) when he spots Harry's black SUV in the lot. He's about to walk right by it when movement in the driver’s seat catches his eye.

Harry's sitting there hunched over with his forehead on the steering wheel, hands resting on his belly that's grown since the last time he's seen him.

He taps on the window, chest constricting painfully. "Harry?"

Harry looks up at him, eyes glassy and hair sticking to his temples. He reaches over and unlocks the door. Louis pulls it open. The inside of the car is almost as warm as the blistering heat outside. "Hey, Louis," he says lethargically.

"Are you okay?" He puts his hand on his shoulder. His skin burns beneath his shirt. _Fuck_.

Harry sighs and rubs his stomach. "I've got really bad morning sickness today and I don't think-" he swallows thickly. "Don’t think the heat is really helping me."

"Well what are you doing sitting here with the windows up and no air on, silly?" His voice wavers as he rubs Harry's sweaty back.

"I was going to pick up crackers or something, but I feel like I'm going to throw up," the last word comes out as a whimper. "My mother was right," he sobs weakly, pressing his face back into the steering wheel. "I can't do this on my own."

Louis' heart clenches and he can't help but to reach forward and tuck Harry's hair behind his ear. "Oh, none of that. This is what I want you to do: I want you to turn on the car, blast the air conditioning, and lock the doors. I'm going to run inside and pick some things up for you, then I'm going to drive you back to your place, okay?"

Harry frowns a bit. "I barely know you though."

Louis huffs out a little laugh. "Well I did say I'd help you out if you needed it, right? And it definitely looks like you need some help here. I promise I’m not an axe murderer.”

He shuts the door and waits until he sees Harry turn on the AC before jogging into the store. He comes back out in ten minutes tops with a liter of Schweppes, a box of saltines, and two packs of Marlboro’s for himself.

Harry's sitting back when he reaches the car, cradling his belly in his hands and seemingly asleep. But when Louis knocks on the driver’s side window, he reaches over to unlock the door with his eyes still closed.

"Okay," Louis says, reaching over Harry's lap to place the plastic bag on the floor between the seats. "Want me to help you out?"

Harry opens his eyes and shakes his head slowly. Louis holds out his hands as he climbs out and places them on his shoulders to steady him as he teeters a bit.

"Woah there," he gives a short, nervous laugh. "You're not in the best of shape right now, are you? Come on."

Louis guides him around the back of the car and helps him into the passenger seat. He clicks the seatbelt into place before running back over to the driver’s side.

"So, what's the address?" He asks as he puts the car in reverse and starts to back out of the parking space. Should he be taken to the hospital instead? No, it looks like he just needs a good night’s sleep.

Harry swallows before answering. "I'll direct you; it's not far."

"No, no. I'll just plug it into my GPS. I want you to rest."

Harry sighs and leans back. He recites his address and Louis taps it into his phone.

When he pulls out of the store’s parking lot, he asks, "if you're feeling so poorly, then why didn't you ask one of your friends to run out for you?"

"They're…working," Harry says. "I've got off on weekends. You really didn't have to do this for me, Louis."

"Of course I did, Harry. I couldn't just let you sit there while you're on the verge of a bloody heatstroke. That wouldn't be good for you, or your baby."

"Okay," he says, stretching out his legs. "Thank you."

_******* _

They arrive at Harry's apartment building a little while later and when he leads Louis inside, they're immediately greeted by a calico kitten with a twitching tail and bright yellow eyes.

"This is Priscilla," he introduces, leaning over to unzip his boots and tuck them against the wall near the door. He makes a sound of disgust low in his throat when he stands back up and pats his chest a few times. "God, I am so _nauseous_."

"Why don't you go in and rest?" Louis suggests, pulling out his packs of cigarettes from the bag and stuffing them into the pocket of his shorts. He takes the ginger ale and crackers out and places them on the small table in the kitchen. "Would you like me to stay? Will you be alright?"

Harry rubs his forehead and crinkles his nose. "Hm?"

"Okay, I'm staying. Now, let's get you into bed," he places a gentle hand on the small of Harry's back and guides him into the bedroom. Harry lies back against the pillows and sighs. Louis pokes his thigh. "Can I help you take these off? I'm not trying to creep."

Harry nods and unzips his jeans. Louis proceeds to pull the black pants down his legs and drapes them over the baseboard of the bed, leaving Harry in his light blue boxers and T-shirt. He then leaves the room and comes back a moment later with a glass of ginger ale and a sleeve of crackers.

"Take a few sips of this, mate. I stirred the bubbles out," he lifts the glass to Harry's lips and waits as he swallows a couple gulps before placing the drink on the nightstand. "Good? Alright, just call me if you need me, okay?"

Harry mumbles an affirmative and rolls over onto his side. Louis flicks on the ceiling fan and closes the door behind him. He goes back out into the living room and sits down on the couch. Priscilla hops up next to him, watching him curiously.

Louis pulls his phone from his pocket and dials Niall's number.

 _"Hey, bro, where are you?"_ He asks when he answers.

Louis sighs. "A friend wasn't feeling well so I had to drive him home from the store. I'll be back sometime later."

 _"Oh, alright,"_ Niall says. _"Which friend?"_

"Harry. The guy from Tesco I told you about a few weeks ago."

The line is silent for a moment.

"Ni?"

 _"Take your time then, bro,"_ he can hear the smile in his voice.

"Goodbye, Niall," Louis ends the call just as Niall starts cackling through the line. He is the worst. He spots a remote control on the coffee table before him and grabs it. "A little telly while daddy's sleeping?" Louis asks the little cat next to him. She mews in response and climbs onto his lap.

**_***_ **

He's two reruns of _Cake Off_ in when Harry finally comes shuffling out of the bedroom, wearing a pair of gray sweatpants.

"Oh, hey," Louis greets with a smile. "How are you feeling then?"

He rubs his hands down his face. The color has returned into his cheeks. "Pretty embarrassed, if I might say."

Louis furrows his brows, shutting the television off. "What? Why?"

Harry walks over and lowers himself slowly onto the cushion next to him. Priscilla starts to purr and climbs off of Louis' lap to rub her nose against Harry's stomach.

He scratches her head, blatantly avoiding Louis' eyes. "Because I nearly got sick in front of you."

Louis laughs softly. "Oh, please. Even if you did, a little vomit doesn't faze me. And besides, I wanted to get you home and in bed before you got even worse."

Harry leans back and rubs the sides of his stomach. There are still bags beneath his eyes that are tinted purple and Louis wants nothing more than to make him a nice, warm cup of tea and tuck him back into bed. "Thank you, Louis. I really appreciate it."

He nods, reaching over and patting his knee. Thank God he couldn't read his thoughts. "Do you need me to stay? Because I have nothing to do,” he feels this odd need to keep an eye on him, which is silly because Harry’s a grown ass man. He doesn’t need Louis to _babysit_ him.

"Oh- don't you work?" Harry asks, wringing his hands together. He sure is quite a nervous fellow, Louis notices.

"I'm a teacher; our last day was a couple of weeks ago," he tells him.

"What do you teach?"

"History. What do you do?"

"I cut hair," Harry says, a hint of a smile on his lips. "They gave me off on weekends when my…ex and I broke up since they know I'm going to want more time with the baby once they come."

Louis frowns. "Oh, that's nice. I know it's probably not my place to ask, but…are you doing alright?"

He sucks his bottom lip between his teeth. "I’m…okay, yeah,” he gives a short laugh that was anything but believable. "It was, uh, kind of an unpleasant surprise for my ex when we found out I was pregnant, so he wanted out. Said he didn't want to be tied down by a kid or…something.”

Louis watches silently as Harry smooths his hands down his stomach, eyes cast to his lap. What does he even _say_ to something like that?

"Oh! Oh, they're kicking," Harry laughs before he could say anything. "You have to feel this," he grabs Louis' hand and places it on the side of his belly.

Louis waits with bated breath until he feels a little thump against his palm and he gives Harry a soft smile. "You're going to be a great dad."

There's no doubt about that; Louis can see it in the way Harry speaks a bit softer when he mentions his baby, in the way his hands are always glued to his belly. Despite what Harry's mother apparently thinks, he seems to be doing perfectly fine on his own.

Harry looks at him, lips parted. The green of his eyes seems more saturated than ever. "You think so?"

"I know so."

Harry suddenly leans over and wraps his arms around his neck. Louis blinks in surprise, then rubs the center of his back. His body is a comforting weight in his arms and Louis really doesn't want to let go.

When Harry pulls away a moment later, he gives Louis such a fond look that it would bring him to his knees were he standing.

"You're too nice for your own kind," he says.

Louis smiles at him. "It's in my blood. And you deserve no less."

His face falls slightly. Louis’ suddenly afraid he might start crying. “I don’t…know about that.”

He cocks an eyebrow. “What-”

"Want to stay for dinner?" Harry interrupts, throat bobbing slightly.

Louis sighs. He promised Niall yesterday they'd go out for sushi. "I- I can't, I'm sorry. My roommate and I are getting food together and if I bail, he'll have my ass."

Harry grins, no sign of disappointment anywhere on his features. "I understand. I don’t have anything worth eating in my fridge anyway. Would you like me to drive you to get your car?"

Louis pushes himself into a standing position and Priscilla jumps off the couch to circle his legs. He reaches down to scratch at her head. "Roomie's picking me up, but thank you."

"Let me at least walk you downstairs."

Well, Louis can't say no to that, can he?

**_***_ **

When he comes back upstairs, Harry feels the overwhelming urge to cry bubble up from somewhere deep inside. He shuts the front door behind him, slips off his flip-flops, and stands there with a lump in his throat and tears brimming to the surface.

He doesn't know why he's suddenly so emotional, but something in the way Louis cared for him really struck him right in the heart. If he hadn't spotted him at Tesco, where would he be? Passed out in his car? At the hospital? He felt so poorly and Louis was so kind and he's so- he's so-

He's going to be sick.

The tiles of the bathroom floor press into his knees uncomfortably when he drops to the floor and he heaves two, three times into the toilet. When he's sure nothing else is creeping up his throat, he reaches to flush the toilet and leans his cheek against his arms on the seat.

 _Fuck_ , he thinks.

This is disgusting, he feels so _disgusting_.

He's _so alone_.

He should have someone sitting next to him right now, rubbing his back, holding his hair away from his face, making him a cup of tea, but no. He doesn't have that.

He could've had that, but he chose the wrong person. He thought it was the right person, but he was naïve. _But, but, but._

It's his fault. He doesn't deserve a lover anyway; he's never been a good partner.

But he can be a good friend. Maybe. That's something he hasn't had a chance to be for a long while.

Pulling himself to his feet and wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, Harry decides he might text Louis tomorrow.

_******* _

It was a complete surprise when Louis' phone chimes the next afternoon while he's watching television and finds a text from an unfamiliar number that says, _hey, it's Harry!_

 **Hey Harry :)** , he replies soon after, heart beating somewhere in his fingertips.

_Sooo I really wanna thank you for helping me out yesterday. Do you think I could treat you to lunch?_

**Today??**

_If you're not busy then yeah! :D_

Louis smiles down at his phone. He doesn't want to think of this as a date. It's not a date. Why does he always jump to conclusions?

**Sure, I'm not doing anything. Want me to pick you up?**

_Nah I can come get you. Just gimme your address and I'll be there by…12:30?_

**12:30 sounds great. I'll be waiting :)**

He types out the address of his flat and puts his phone down on the coffee table.

"Niall," he calls, standing from the couch. "I'm going out for lunch, want me to bring you back anything?"

"No, I'm good," Niall says, peaking around the doorframe to his bedroom. His hair is mussed and his eyes are a tad bloodshot. Either he's been sleeping all morning or lighting up in there. "You going out with someone?"

"Yeah, Harry. The guy from Tesco. He wants to take me to lunch as a thank you for yesterday."

"Ooh la la," Niall says, laughing.

Louis just rolls his eyes and strips off his gross pajama shirt. Hopefully he has something in his closet nice enough for a lunch date.

Not a date. Just lunch.

Maybe he'll steal something from Niall's closet.

He gets dressed and attempts to style his hair and when the doorbell rings sometime later, Niall gets to it before he can.

"Holy shit," he says, eyeing Harry up and down. "Lou didn't mention how cute you were."

_Fucking hell, Niall._

Harry smiles down at his shoes. His- silver heeled boots. He remembers when his mum was pregnant, she'd wear flats 24/7. Harry is superhuman, he's sure of it. "Thank you. You must be…"

"Niall, at your service," he says in an accent that sounds dangerously transatlantic, shaking Harry's hand quite vigorously. He's got the strength of Chewbacca in the body of C-3PO. "The coolest Irish pansexual you'll ever meet."

Harry only laughs his good-natured laugh. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Niall."

"Alright, alright," Louis interrupts, pushing Niall aside with a grin. "Get out of here, you old smoothie."

Niall holds his hands up in mock surrender and backs away. "Consider me gone then," he skitters off to the kitchen. Louis can smell the lingering stench of pot as he walks away and he looks over at Harry hesitantly. He doesn't seem to notice though. _Amazing._

Louis rubs the back of his neck. "Sorry about him. You, um, you look nice," He gestures to Harry's pink polka-dot button-down. He looks like something out of a high-end fashion magazine, if he's being honest.

He smiles and stands pigeon-toed in the hallway. "Thanks, Lou- can I call you Lou?"

"You can call me anything you want."

"Fuck yeah he can!" Niall shouts from the kitchen table.

Louis flips him the bird from behind his back and Niall cackles. "Let's go, yeah? By the time we actually get out of here, it's going to be supper. Ni, I'll be home later."

Niall waves him off and they head outside to the parking lot.

"Your roommate smokes?" Harry asks once they're at his car, holding the passenger door open for Louis.

Louis sighs and gets in. He should keep Febreze handy at home at all times. "You noticed? I'm sorry…”

Harry laughs, shaking his head. "It's fine, really. It's just, being pregnant kind of gave me supersonic smell, you know?" He leans in and says a bit quieter, "But between you and me, I'm no stranger to that smell.”

Louis likes him just a little more.

_******* _

When Harry pulls up to Justin’s Italian Restaurant, Louis finds himself gaping. He passes this place every day on his way to work but never had an excuse, or the funds, to go in.

"What?" Harry asks, laughing. He puts the car in park and pulls his key out of the ignition. "You didn't think I was just going to bring you to some shabby pizzeria, did you? That'd be quite the shitty thank-you."

"But I barely did anything," Louis counters, gob smacked. Who knew he'd be treated to such a fancy lunch just for his kind actions. He ought to be nice to strangers more often.

"Louis," Harry says. "I was sick and you, a virtual stranger, took care of me; I think that's worth taking you to a nice restaurant, yeah? I just really appreciate what you did for me yesterday."

"I- you're very welcome."

"Let's go then," he unbuckles his seatbelt and climbs out of the car. Louis follows suit and when they get inside of the restaurant, they’re greeted by a maître d’ who guides them to an empty table towards the back. Louis makes sure to pull Harry's chair out for him.

"I feel a bit underdressed," he says when he sits down, stealing a glance at his T-shirt and jeans. He really should've stolen something from Niall.

"Please," Harry says with a smile. "I'm wearing a pink blouse, for Chrissakes."

"But I feel like a bum," he opens up his menu.

"I think you look quite nice, actually."

Louis grins then, folding his arms upon the tabletop. "This is starting to feel more and more like a date," he says skeptically. He's joking. Mostly.

Something passes through Harry’s eyes that he can’t decipher. “No, it’s- I’m just being nice,” he laughs nervously.

There he goes again putting his foot in his mouth, great. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” if he makes Harry feel uncomfortable one more time then he’s going to smother himself when he gets home, he swears. "So what's good here?" He asks awkwardly.

Harry smiles at him briefly. "Definitely the lobster. You should try that."

"I'll try it if you get it.”

Harry pats his belly that was mostly hidden by the wooden table and says, "I can’t eat seafood, unfortunately.”

Louis looks back down at the menu in his hands. “Oh, okay,” this mood is completely ruined and it’s his fault. Of course.

_******* _

"And then my sister threw the poor blokes phone overboard!" Harry squawks before spooning the last glop of chocolate ice cream into his mouth.

Louis leans back in his chair and guffaws, holding his stomach. He doesn’t remember the last time he laughed this hard.

They've been at the restaurant for nearly two hours now, and their empty plates were taken away from them three bowls of ice cream _each_ ago. And thankfully the atmosphere relaxed some once they started eating. (He got the lobster)

Before Harry started telling Louis about the time his family went on a cruise back when he was in college and how his sister attempted to pursue one of their waiters, Louis told him a bit about his family and his job and Niall and everything in between and Harry sat across from him with such a welcoming air about him that Louis wanted to sit there in that dimly-lit room and share silly accounts with him all day.

And before they finished their meals, Harry told Louis about his older sister and her new engagement (not with the waiter from the cruise) and how much he hates getting in from work with a million clumps of other people's hair clinging to his clothes. And Louis listened intently while Harry grinned all the way through a story about when he got his first cat when he was twelve, and just wanted to soak up everything this boy had to say.

They chatted like they were old friends and it leaves such a warm feeling in Louis' chest. Especially since Harry has seemed to let himself go a little bit. He doesn’t seem as reserved right now and it’s nice.

When his laughter comes to an eventual halt, Louis wipes the corners of his eyes and takes a sip of his water. "Ah, please, I'm going to bust a gut here."

Harry laughs and sets his spoon into his empty bowl. “Me too. I think the baby has a brain freeze from all that ice cream.”

Swallowing down another set of the giggles, Louis asks, "how have you been feeling then?" He's genuinely curious; yesterday was a bit frightening for him, to say the least.

He smiles and looks down to his stomach. "Okay, yeah. Thank you so much again for yesterday, Lou."

Louis waves a hand at him and sits back in his chair. "Oh, please. If I had a pound for every time you thanked me then I might be able to pay for this meal."

Harry waggles a finger at him. "Oh no, mister. Maybe next time."

 _Next time._ He guesses he didn’t ruin this lunch as much as he thought he did.

"Shall we get the check, then?" Harry asks, tucking his hair behind his ears.

Louis nods. "Yeah, yeah. Your hair is lovely, by the way," he's a sucker for long hair.

He smiles, waving over their waitress. "Oh- thank you. It's hard to manage sometimes when it's this long."

"You do a wonderful job of it though," the compliments just seem to spill out, though Louis makes no attempt to stop them. Someone like Harry deserves to know how lovely they are.

Harry pulls his wallet from his back pocket and lays it on the table before him. "Well I would hope so. I am a licensed cosmetologist after all."

Louis smiles at him as the waitress collects their bowls. "Check?" She asks.

Harry nods. "Yes, please."

When she walks away, he unfolds his wallet and pulls out a debit card and Louis notices a small sonogram tucked into the clear pocket in the center.

He points to the photograph. "That them then?"

Harry looks down at his wallet with a soft smile. "Yeah."

"Do you know the gender?"

He shakes his head. "No, I want to keep it a surprise."

"Have you thought about any names?" Louis asks. He notices that whenever he speaks about the baby, Harry seems to glow. He's such a proud father already and it makes Louis' heart twist with admiration.

"Well, I really like Sam, actually," Harry says. Their waitress returns with the check and he signs it and places the card in her hand. She carries it away.

Louis leans back in his chair, folding his hands on the table. "For a girl or a boy?"

"Either, or. I want to keep it very gender-neutral, you know? That's why I'm planning on painting the nursery yellow."

Louis nods. "Yeah, 'course." He remembers most of his siblings’ nurseries being yellow also.

The waitress returns one last time with Harry's debit card and wishes them a nice evening. He tucks it back into his wallet.

Louis stands from his chair and rounds the table. He holds his hand out for Harry to take and Harry lets himself be pulled to his feet.

"Oi," he says when he's standing. He rests his hand on the small of his back. "Getting bigger by the minute. You may have to carry me in on a dolly if we go out again."

Louis laughs and bumps his shoulder with his. He leaves the restaurant at Harry's side with his heart as equally full as his stomach.

_******* _

"So," Harry starts, driving with one hand on the wheel and one hand resting on his belly. "I was hoping to maybe catch a movie with you as well if you had nothing to do, but my back is starting to act up," he laughs a bit. "Being pregnant sure makes me a party pooper, doesn't it?"

Louis grins over at him, watching his profile in amusement. "Nah. You're still quite fun; can't help it if your back is bothering you. Are you going to go home and rest then?"

"Well," Harry says, glancing out the driver’s side window. "I think I might do a bit of yoga or something actually."

"Could I join?" He really doesn't want to go home yet.

Harry looks over at him skeptically. “Really?”

He laughs. "Sure! Every once in a while I'll accompany my sister to her yoga class and I find it very relaxing."

"That it is," Harry says. "I've never enjoyed it until I became pregnant. It's a godsend," he pulls into the parking lot of his apartment building a few minutes later and parks in an empty space.

Louis shoots Niall a quick text saying he'll be home later and smiles at Harry. "Shall we?" He says. Harry smiles back and they climb out of the car.

Priscilla is waiting at the door when they enter the flat, mewling and weaving between their legs. Louis leans down to pat her back.

"Lucky for you," Harry say. "I've got two mats on me. One for home use and one for when I decide to go to an actual class," he pads into his bedroom after he toes his boots off.

Louis removes his sneakers and leaves them near the door neatly and by the time Harry comes back out a few seconds later, he's sitting on the couch with the cat in his lap.

"Sorry, I just wanted to change quickly," Louis looks up and has to refrain from gaping when Harry walks back into the living room in black leggings and an oversized T-shirt that falls just passed his thighs. His feet are bare and his hair is in a bun and there's two rolled up yoga mats under one arm. He is, quite literally, the picture of beauty. _Christ_.

"Uh," Louis says dumbly, nudging Priscilla away and standing from the couch. "You look- you look great."

Harry knits his brows together and looks down at himself. "Thank you?"

He shakes his head. "I just- those pants look amazing on you. Wow, that sounded weird. I swear I'm not trying to hit on you." Smooth.

Harry only laughs and pushes the coffee table against the wall and unfolds the two mats onto the floor. "It's alright. That's very sweet of you. I feel like an absolute whale, but these are the only pants I can really stretch in."

Louis finds himself shaking his head. "I think you look great." He looks so _soft_.

Harry gives a small smile and turns his back towards him. "Thank you, Lou."

"Okay," he claps his hands together in attempt to change the subject. "What are we doing first?"

Harry shrugs, scratching at his chest. "Dunno. Just a bit of stretching for now, I guess."

Louis nods and watches as Harry sits down on the mat and lies back. He brings his legs up in front of him, holding onto the backs of his thighs and Louis has to look away as he gets a clear shot of his ass.

"Aren't you going to do it too?" Harry asks, a slight strain in his voice.

Louis nods and lies down beside him, mirroring his position. "Yeah, yeah."

They stay like that for a few moments until Harry says, "alright," and sits up. He places the bottoms of his feet together and grips his ankles, leaning forward.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Louis asks, sitting up as well. He's surprised Harry can move like that when he's got that big of a belly.

He shakes his head, stretching his legs out before him. "It feels good on my back sometimes. Could you help me here?"

"Yeah," he nods. "What do you need?"

"Just- hold my hands and kind of pull me forward."

"I'll hurt you, Harry," Louis says, crawling over so he's sitting in front of him.

Harry laughs. "No you won't. Here," he holds out his hands and Louis grabs ahold of them. "I'll let you know if it hurts."

"Okay," Louis says hesitantly. He starts to pull Harry forward slowly.

"Come on, Lou. I'm not a china doll."

He sighs and pulls him a bit more until Harry lets out a shout and Louis drops his hands, nearly tumbling backwards into the couch.

"What happened? What did I do?" He rushes out, stomach jumping to his throat.

Harry laughs. "Just kidding. Keep going."

Harry Styles is going to be the death of him.

_******* _

_I don’t want you talking with anyone. Why? I’m all you need, love. Don’t you agree? Good._

Harry wants his voice to _disappear_. He wants every trace of him gone from his mind, he doesn’t want to _think_ of him anymore. All he wants is to focus on his baby, that’s _his and his only_ , and building his life back up.

It’s been years, before he met _him_ , since he’s had a friend that he could actually call his, and he’s not going to fuck this up. Anxiety and low self-esteem be damned; he’s going to make up for all the lost time and friendships by putting his all into Louis fucking Tomlinson.

_******* _

Since that day, Louis' found that hanging out with Harry is far more exciting than sitting in his own apartment by himself while Niall is at work. Or sitting by himself while Niall locks himself in his room to light up when he gets home from work. So, he's finding more and more excuses to see Harry. Even if it's just to visit him at his salon for a few minutes during his breaks, he'd rather be there.

Sometimes they'll go out for lunch (Louis makes sure to pay every other time), sometimes they'll order in. Sometimes they'll pick up groceries together, sometimes they'll just sit on the couch of one of their apartments and watch television in silence. It doesn't matter what they're doing, Louis just really enjoys Harry's company. And Harry seems to enjoy his too. Harry takes him to all of his favorite spots, and Louis takes Harry to his. It’s really the start of a beautiful friendship.

It's the beginning of July when things start to change, though. Louis' at home one Thursday morning, about to pour himself a bowl of cereal, when his cellphone rings from the pocket of his pajama pants.

He props the device between his shoulder and his ear when he sees that it's Harry calling and picks up the cardboard box of Cocoa Pops.

"Good morning! Get to work alright?"

There's a sniffle on the other line and Harry says in a small voice, _"can you come over?"_

Louis sets the box back onto the counter and takes the phone in his hand. "Is everything okay?"

He panics briefly because sometimes Harry has tough days. Days where he’s quiet and hesitant and doesn’t feel like doing much. He never tells Louis what’s the matter though, and he doesn’t push him. He figures today might be one of those days.

_“Just…come over?”_

His heart drops to his toes when he realizes Harry's _crying_. "Yes, of course. I'll be there in a few, love."

Louis leaves his apartment in dingy flannel pants, an old T-shirt and a pair of Niall's flip-flops, breakfast completely forgotten.

**_***_ **

Louis lets himself into the apartment not even fifteen minutes later and Harry doesn’t even have a second to compose himself before he’s crouching down in front of him on the floor and saying, "babe, what's wrong? What's happened?" And quieter, he asks, "is it the baby?"

His heart jumps to his throat when he asks that. Is that what he thought was the matter? He wipes his nose on the back of his hand. "No," he says softly. "They're fine, it's just-" he lets out a sob and Louis jumps to sit beside him on the couch. Harry immediately curls into his side. "I'm officially on paternity leave."

It sounds stupid actually saying it out loud. He’s so _stupid_.

Louis quirks a brow at him and rubs a comforting hand up and down his side. "Why are you upset about that, H?" His voice is so soft that he just wants to start crying all over again. He’s never gotten this emotional in front of Louis before. In front of _anyone_ before.

"Because working makes me so _happy_ , Lou," he whimpers. "The salon has always been my main distraction from the- the breakup, to the stress of having a baby- _everything_ and now that I'm going to be home for the next some odd months, it's just- I'm so- _fuck_. Reality is smacking me in the face and I'm so _overwhelmed_."

He knew he’d have to go on leave at some point, but he just kept shoving it to the back of his mind. Now he really needs to get his shit together and start preparing for this baby.

Louis presses his lips to the top of his head as he starts to cry again. "I understand." Of course he does.

"In two months I'm going to have a _baby_ , Louis. And I haven't even gotten the nursery decorated or any of the furniture assembled and I have to do this all on my own because _fucking_ Adam is a _fucking_ asshole-”

"Okay, okay," Louis shushes him. "It's alright, love."

"No, it's not alright," he cries into his neck. "I'm not ready for a baby either! Has anyone ever thought of that? I expected to have my first child five years from now- while _married_. I'm- I'm going to be a single parent, what the _fuck_. I live in a shabby apartment and work at a tiny-ass salon in town that I can't even go to now and I _feel so alone_."

He has absolutely no one. Not a partner, not a stable relationship with his mother, no friends. He has his sister and father to go to, but why bother them with all of his bullshit? They doesn’t deserve that. But does he? Maybe. Maybe he does deserve all this since it was his fault for getting into such a bad place with such a bad man. _Fuck._

Louis shifts to hold Harry's face in front of his. "You are not alone, Harry," he says firmly. "You have your friends, yeah?”

He shakes his head. “I don’t have any friends, Lou.” _Pathetic._

He just looks at him. “What do you mean? Of course you do.”

“I mean,” He swallows thickly. _If Louis wants to leave you after this, then it’s all your fault_. “My ex- Adam, he didn’t like me to have friends.”

He can see all the blood drain from Louis’ face, and a sort of sudden realization overcome his features. “Harry…”

“I know, I know. That’s stupid.”

“Harry,” he says again. He looks up at him and Louis takes hold of his hands. They’re slightly clammy. “H, was Adam ever…mean to you?”

Tears sprung to his eyes as he looks up at Louis. He nods. “He was- it was really bad, Lou,” he can’t even begin to explain the things that took place inside this apartment. “I was with him for nearly three years, and it was only when I found out that I was pregnant did I realize that, _holy shit_ , I was in an abusive relationship.”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Louis takes him in his arms. “You’re alright now, love.”

He lets out a humorless laugh at that. “I’m not, though. This baby is the only thing keeping me from going completely insane.” _And you._

“What can I do, Harry?” Louis whispers into his ear. “What can I do for you? I feel so- so _helpless_.”

He pulls away and rubs his eyes with the heel of his hands. Then he does something really stupid. He leans forward and kisses Louis right on the lips. It’s just a quick peck, and when he pulls away he says, “just…be there for me? I don’t want you to, like, feel obligated or anything, but I could really use a friend.” _Because people definitely kiss their friends, you dumbass._

Louis looks at him for a moment before pressing another soft kiss to his mouth. "You're so _strong_ , Harry," he says when he pulls back. "And you’re going to be an amazing father. You may think you're not ready, but you _are_. I'll help you set the nursery up, and I'll keep you company when you want me to. I'm there for you, when you need me. Okay?”

His heart is absolutely pounding against his chest. Louis is an actual godsend. “Why?” Is all he can utter.

Louis takes his hand again. "You've become one of my best friends, Harry, I- I care about you. A lot.”

“A lot of people have said that to me, but they never seemed to mean it.”

“Well, I mean it,” he says seriously. “I don’t play with people emotions.”

Harry gives a small, wavering smile as relief washes over him in droves. "You're too good to me, Louis. I really don't deserve it."

Louis returns the smile and tucks a stray piece of hair behind his ear. "You deserve it all, love. You're worth it."

He wants to cry again. There's this warm feeling in the pit of his stomach and he doesn't even try to suppress the growing feelings he knows he has for him. Louis leans in slowly, so slowly, to press their lips together again. This kiss is soft and drawn out and neither of them are making any move to do anything more than just sit there with their mouths on each other's. A few moments later Harry pulls away, cheeks warm.

“I don’t know if I can ever give you anything more than friendship,” He hates to admit it, but he just can’t afford to become close with anyone else and have it all blow up in his face again. He has a baby to think about now.

“I’m not asking for anything more,” he says. “I just want you to let me be there for you. Let me help you.”

Harry smiles at him. His eyes start to well with more tears. "Okay.”

Louis brushes a thumb over his cheek. "You're going to be fine, babe. You know that, right?"

Harry shakes his head. "I don’t know that. But hopefully one day I will be.”

“You will be,” he says reassuringly.

A sudden twinge of discomfort races through Harry’s belly and he hisses, stiffening.

"Okay?" Louis asks him hurriedly, watching him.

"I think that was a Braxton Hicks," he says quietly. That definitely was. He widens his eyes at him. "Oh God, Louis-"

"It's alright," Louis says. "You're okay, it's just your baby letting you know that they'll be here in a few months, yeah?"

He nods, relaxing against Louis and rubbing his belly. He lets out an exasperated sigh. "I’m so scared," He’s fucking terrified, to be honest.

“I know,” Louis says, wrapping his arms around him. “And that’s okay. I’m here for you.”

After a few quiet moments, Louis asks, "why don't you come to my mum’s Fourth of July barbecue this weekend?"

Harry scrunches his nose up, looking at him. "You celebrate the Fourth of July?"

He shrugs. "It's just an excuse to have a party, really. But it'll be fun! We put out American flag plates and everything."

He can’t help but smile. "Alright, yeah."

His heart feels a little lighter.

**_***_ **

When Saturday rolls around, Harry is in much higher spirits than he was a few days before. Which is good considering Louis was terrified for him that morning. He spent the rest of Thursday with him binge-watching _Orange Is The New Black_ and drinking tea and talking some more, and on Friday, since it was Niall's day off, they all went bowling. They didn't kiss anymore, but that's okay. It was a good two days. Well, every day with Harry is good, but still. Something shifted in their relationship that Thursday morning and since then things have just seemed more… _sincere_ between them.

They arrived at his mum's house at noon after driving for over an hour, and they were barely even out of the car before there were two sets of tiny hands grabbing excitedly at the legs of their shorts.

Louis looks down to find his youngest brother and sister standing at their feet and he leans down to ruffle their golden hair. God, their hair is getting so _long_. "Hey, guys!"

"Lou!" Doris yells gleefully. "We missed you!"

"Oh, I missed you too, Dory!" He hugs them and stands, putting a hand on Harry’s shoulder. "Harry, this is my little brother and sister, Doris and Ernest. Guys, this is my good friend, Harry," why does _Good Friend_ sound so weird?

_The only one who’s making it weird is you, Tommo._

Harry waves down at the five-year-olds with a big smile. "Hello!"

Ernest reaches up to pat his belly and Louis swats his little hands away. "Ernie, no," he scolds gently.

"Are you having a baby?" He ignores his big brother and asks Harry with wide, curious eyes.

Harry only laughs and nods. "I am."

"Louis! Love," there's a sudden shout from across the yard and he looks up to see his mother hurrying over to them with her arms outstretched.

"Mum!" He smiles and embraces her tightly when she reaches them.

"It's so good to see you, sweetie," she says when she pulls away. She looks over at Harry and her eyes widen slightly when she notices his belly. "Oh! Hello, I'm Jay."

Harry smiles warmly at her. "Hi, I'm Harry."

Jay looks back to Louis, her eyebrows nearly touching her hairline. He just shakes his head as if to say _I'll tell you later_. She always jumps to conclusions; that must be where he gets it from.

"Well," she claps her hands together. "Dan is finishing up on the grill but please help yourselves to any refreshments from the cooler, alright?"

"Thanks, mum," Louis says and they follow behind her to where the rest of the family is gathered in the grass.

His remaining siblings flock around him in a flurry of hello's and tight hugs and Louis forgot how much he missed them all. When the four girls quiet down, he rests a hand on the small of Harry's back and smiles at his sisters.

"Girls, this is Harry," he introduces. "H, this is Charlotte, Félicité, Phoebe, and Daisy. In order.”

Harry laughs as he shakes each of their smaller hands. "You weren't kidding when you said you had a big family. Hello, everyone."

"Your hair is gorgeous," Lottie compliments. "You've got to tell me what products you use in it!"

Harry blushes a bit and reaches up to run a hand through his hair. "Oh! Well-"

There's a sharp tug on the back of Louis' T-shirt and he turns around to find his mother motioning for him to follow her. She leads him over to the porch of the house and props her hands on her hips.

"Well?" She says, cocking a hip.

Louis shrugs, sticking his hands in his pockets. "Well what?"

"Are you…the father, Louis?"

Louis actually laughs out loud and glances over his shoulder to where Harry's still conversing with his sisters. "No, mum, no."

"Where is Harry's husband then?" She asks, dropping her hands to her sides.

He really doesn't want to spill Harry's personal life to his mother, but she is his mother and he can't just lie to her. There'd be no point. "He's…a single parent, mum."

Her face visibly softens as she hears this. "Oh, poor lad. I know how that is."

Louis nods.

"Well, I'd be happy to help him out if he ever needs anything," his mother’s words are damn near identical to his own. He must also get his generosity from her. "I did have seven children, after all. Come on then, we shouldn't leave him too long with the girls or they'll try to braid that lovely hair of his."

Louis smiles at her and they both head back over to where everyone is standing in the yard. Harry is still talking with Lottie when he sidles up beside him and places a hand on his back. That seems to be the spot his touch gravitates to most.

"Alright, kiddos," His step-father emerges from around the side of the house with two plates of hotdogs and hamburgers in his hands and he sets them down on the wooden picnic table. His mum walks over to him and touches his shoulder, gesturing towards Louis and Harry with a flick of her chin.

"Lou!" Dan says cheerfully, walking over to them and giving Louis a quick hug. Louis pats his back and laughs.

"Hey, Dan," he says. "This is my friend, Harry."

Harry holds out his hand and Dan shakes it. "Good to meet you, son."

"You as well, sir."

"Come on, then. Let's all go sit down before everything gets cold," he pats Harry on the shoulder and motions for the others to sit. Everyone claims their spot at the long table and immediately reach for a paper plate. Jay passes around the condiment bottles and plates of food and drags the cooler over closer to the table.

"Louis, Harry, what would you like?" She asks them, fishing her hand around in the ice.

"Coke, please," he says and looks to Harry.

"Water is fine, thank you," he smiles.

His mum nods and carries the drinks over to the two of them. "Kids, don't be afraid to ask for seconds; there's plenty to go around, alright?" She says when she takes her place next to Dan across from Louis and Harry.

Everyone mumbles their thank-you's as they dig into their food. Louis looks down the table and sees Doris and Ernie making an absolute _mess_ with the ketchup bottle as they try to squirt some out on their hotdogs and he smiles. Next to them, Lottie is taking bird-sized bites of her hamburger as not to smear her lipstick, and Fizzy is laughing at her, mouth full. Daisy and Phoebe are eating and silently exchanging glances with each other from across the table. Louis snorts. _Twins_ , he thinks.

"So, Harry," Jay starts, and he looks over at Harry as he takes the first bite of his mustard-covered hotdog. "How far along are you, honey?"

"Just a little over seven months," he smiles, wiping his mouth with a red, white, and blue napkin. "I'm due September tenth."

"Oh, that's my first day back at school!" Louis says, cracking open his can of soda. "What a coincidence!" He’s quite sure at this point that he will be missing his first day.

His mother gives them a surprised smile. "It's going to be a busy day for the both of you, then! How've you been feeling? Nervous at all?" She asks Harry.

He shrugs, smile still gracing his lips. Louis' chest feels so warm and light and he's so relieved to see Harry feeling better. Hanging around his family can put _Hades_ in a good mood. "A little nervous, yeah," he says. "And I'm a little tired, I guess, and kind of sore all over, but I'm doing well."

"You know," Dan starts around a mouthful of food, pointing his hotdog at Harry. _Manners, Daniel_ , Louis wants to tell him. "When Jay was pregnant with the twins, doing yoga seemed to help her a bit."

Jay nods along to what her husband is saying and Harry bumps Louis' shoulder with his. "Louis and I do yoga once in a while, too. It helps a lot with my back and stuff."

"What about your ankles?" Louis' mum asks. "Been swelling up as well?"

Harry rolls his eyes exaggeratedly and Louis almost laughs. He knew Harry would get along with his mother. "Don't even get me started on that. And the stretch marks? _Awful_."

Jay nods vigorously, pressing a folded napkin against her mouth. "Trust me, I know. What really seemed to help me though was this homemade lotion that a friend of mine gave me. Cleared them up in a matter of weeks."

"You don't say?"

"Yessiree. I think I still have a bottle of it somewhere inside. Stuff never goes bad. I'll see if I can find it after we eat."

Harry swallows the bite of hotdog he was chewing and beams at her, positively beams. "Thank you so much."

"Of course, sweetie."

By the time they all finish eating, the sun is at its highest in the sky and everyone begins migrating into the house to escape the heat. The two sets of twins run upstairs to their bedrooms and the two older girls are fiddling with their cellphones in the living room. While Dan was outside scrubbing the grill clean, Jay tells Harry she was going to go look for that lotion she was talking about and hurries off to the bathroom.

While she’s gone, Louis leans in and asks Harry, "want to see my old room?"

Harry's face lights up and Louis guides him down the hallway by the hand. He pushes open the door to the room and flicks on the light. The walls are still the same light blue color and there are wilting posters of football players and actors and singers taped all over the place. The desk is cluttered with books and paperwork and on the dresser sits a few old football trophies.

"Mum mostly uses this as a guest room now," Louis says. "And apparently an office," he picks up one of the pieces of paper on the desk and scans through it. Something for her work, it looks like.

Harry smiles and wanders over to the nightstand. "It's so cute in here," he picks up a picture frame that sat there and laughs softly. Louis sets the paper back down and walks up to him, looking over his shoulder. The picture was of him when he was about thirteen years old and he was holding a battered skateboard under one arm and a black helmet under the other.

"I was truly a ladies man back then, huh," he says, grinning at the photograph.

Harry's smiling and is about to set the picture back in its place when he gasps suddenly and the frame slips from his fingers, clattering against the carpet. Louis' heart jumps to his throat as he watches him hold his belly and squeeze his eyes shut.

"Harry?" He asks.

Harry shakes his head and blows out a steady breath. "Sorry, sorry," he says after a few seconds, reaching down to pick up the photo.

Louis stops him with a hand on his shoulder and picks the frame up from the floor himself, propping it back on the nightstand. "It's alright, are you okay?"

He gives a breathy laugh, rubbing his stomach. "Just another one of those damn Braxton Hicks."

Louis places a hand on his elbow. "Do you want to leave then?" If he's being honest, he'd like to head home about now anyway. He loves his family, he really, truly does, but there's a reason he only drives down to visit them on holidays. Sometimes it gets to be a bit too overwhelming.

Harry nods and they walk back out to the kitchen where Jay is there waiting for them.

"Oh, there you are!" She holds out a small white bottle towards Harry.

"Thank you, Mrs. Tomlinson," Harry says gratefully, taking the bottle of lotion from her.

She shakes her head, grinning. "I'm not a Tomlinson anymore, love. Just call me Jay, or Johannah."

He nods, a slight blush to his cheeks.

"Mum, I think we're going to start heading back now," Louis says. "Harry's not feeling too well."

Jay furrows her brows. "No? What's the matter, hon? Was it the food?"

He shakes his head. "No, no, the food was lovely. I've just been having false contractions lately, that's all."

She _tsk's_ empathetically and rubs his arm. "Oh, I understand. Warm baths can go a long way in the last couple months of your pregnancy, trust me. And if you ever need anything, love, anything at all, don't hesitate to give me a call. I'm sure Lou will give you my number. I'd be happy to give you some tips and pointers."

Harry cocks his head, fiddling with the bottle in his hands. "Wow, I- that's lovely, Jay. Thank you so much."

She nods, smiling softly. "Of course, honey. Now, put some of that on every night before bed and you'll be good to go, alright?" She kisses the two boys on the cheek.

"Love you, mum," Louis says, guiding Harry towards the door. "Bye girls!" He calls, receiving a few " _bye, Lou!"_ 's scattered throughout the house from his siblings.

They step out into the sunlight and head straight for Louis' car. Just as they're about to get in, Dan waves the metal scrubber he was using to clean the grill with and says, "see you, Louis! Nice meeting you, Harry!"

The two boys wave and say goodbye and strap themselves in. When they're on the road, Harry looks at Louis and says, "your family is so lovely."

He smiles, glancing at him. "They're definitely something. Did you have a nice time?"

"I did, yeah. I'm sorry we had to leave so soon."

Louis shakes his head, reaching over and placing a comforting hand on Harry's knee. "No, that's fine. I'd rather be chilling in an air-conditioned apartment watching _Law & Order_ anyway."

"You're going to come over then?" Harry asks, a touch of something that sounds a lot like hope in his voice.

"Of course! Niall doesn't get home until six, so I say we put on our pajamas, pour ourselves a couple glasses of iced tea, log into Netflix, and make an afternoon of it, yeah?"

He nods. "Sounds perfect."

_******* _

Over the past few weeks, he never actually stayed the night with Harry, but he does have a pair of sweatpants and a spare T-shirt of his own stuffed into Harry's dresser that he likes to change into when they're having a lazy day in. So that's the first thing he does when they get to Harry's apartment.

When he walks back out into the living room, Harry is sitting in the couch with his legs up, two glasses of sweet tea sitting on the coffee table before him. He smiles when Louis walks over and makes to sit up, but Louis stops him.

"No, no, stay," he says and lifts Harry's legs gently, sitting down on the couch and setting them across his lap. "What are we watching then? _Law & Order_?"

Harry taps the end of the remote control against his nose decisively. "How about a movie instead?"

He shrugs. "Sure, what did you have in mind, love?"

" _If Only_? With Jennifer Love Hewitt?"

Louis looks at him, lips parted. "That's one of my favorite movies."

"Mine too!" Harry says. He searches the movie up on Netflix and clicks _play_. "I'll try not to cry too hard."

Louis laughs and relaxes against the couch, hands sitting limply against Harry's thighs. Priscilla wanders around the living room for a few seconds before deciding to jump up next to them and go to sleep. He feels so content here.

**_***_ **

The movie ends around four o'clock, and before they know it, they're heating up a frozen pizza and watching another one, and then another one, and it's when the time on Louis' phone flashes nine o'clock do they decide to call it a night. It’s pretty early, but they’ve both had a pretty hectic few days and could definitely use the rest. Especially Harry.

Louis sits up and stretches his arms above his head and Harry does the same. He powers down the television and slides out from under Harry's legs.

"Lou, do you want to stay the night?" He asks just as he’s carrying their empty glasses into the kitchen.

Louis comes back out into the living room and looks at him, hands on his hips. "Are you sure?"

Harry nods, standing from the couch. "Sure, I mean, you're already in your pajamas."

He looks down at his clothes and laughs. "That is true. Alright, I'll shoot Niall a text then."

"Okay, I'll be right back. M'gonna change."

When Harry shuts his bedroom door to get dressed, Louis pulls out his cellphone and sends Niall a message telling him he's sleeping over Harry's. Niall sends the tongue emoji in response. Harry comes back out a few moments later with the bottle of lotion his mother gave him and sits down on the couch with it.

Louis sits back down next to him and takes the bottle from his hands. "Want me to help you put this on?"

"Oh, you don't have to do that-" he reaches for the bottle but Louis pulls away.

"Lift up your shirt, Styles," he flips the cap and squirts some of the white lotion in his palm. It smells a lot like aloe and something from his mother’s herb garden.

Harry just shakes his head with a smile and lifts his pajama shirt over his belly. Louis kneels between his legs and rubs his hands together. Harry's never taken his shirt off in front of him before, or even bared his stomach like this, so it warms Louis' heart a bit knowing he's becoming more comfortable around him.

"The stretch marks are kind of…gross," Harry laughs.

Louis shakes his head, placing his hands on the sides of Harry's tummy gently. "They're beautiful, Harry. You're so beautiful." Everything about him is _beautiful_.

And he is one sappy motherfucker.

Harry just hides his face in his hands and Louis smiles at him. He rubs his hands around the expanse of his belly slowly, paying special attention to the angry red marks on his waist and holding his breath every time he could faintly feel Harry's baby kick at his hands from beneath his skin. The lotion dries up on his palms soon after and he's about to pull away when Harry reaches for his wrists.

"Wait," he says softly.

Louis sits there and watches him for a moment. Harry reaches up and places a hand on the back of his neck and pulls him in for a kiss. It's gentle and slow and over all too soon, so when Harry pulls back Louis give him one last lingering kiss on the lips.

"Thank you," he whispers.

Louis grins down at him, slipping his shirt back over his belly. "I get kisses as a thank you? Huh, I should start doing things for you more often then."

Harry flashes his teeth at him in a small smile and says quietly, "I'll kiss you whenever you want me to. Just ask."

"Kiss me?"

He laughs and nods, pecking him on the lips.

"Kiss me?" Louis asks again and leans back down. He does it a few times until Harry's a giggling mess beneath him.

"You're a good kisser," he says when he calms down a bit.

Louis smirks. "That wasn't even to my full potential, my love."

Harry gives him an open-mouthed smile. "Oh no? Are you going to show me, or?"

He pulls Harry gently into his lap and winds a hand into his hair, holding the back of his head firmly in place. Then he leans in and kisses him, trapping him between his body and the arm of the couch. Louis kisses him as sloppily and filthily as he can for a few minutes, licking all around the inside of his mouth and it's only when Harry starts panting and fisting the front of his shirt does he decide to pull away.

"Shit," he breathes, holding the material of Louis' T-shirt limply in his hands.

"What'd you think of that?" Louis grins, lips slick and swollen.

Harry shifts in his lap a bit. "I think that I'm hard now."

He laughs and looks down at the very obvious growing tent in Harry's pajama pants. "Well, what would you like me to do about that?"

Harry huffs adorably and scrunches his brows together. "I think you should get me off. You know- finish what you started, Tomlinson?"

Louis just looks at him, all traces of humor gone from his voice as he asks, "are you sure?" He definitely didn’t think the night would lead to this. But of course this happens the first time he sleeps over. What is he, sixteen years old?

He nods almost frantically. "Yes, please." Well. Okay.

Louis reaches for his wallet that sat on the coffee table and pulls out a little packet of lube from one of the pockets, ripping it open with his teeth and spitting the little piece of plastic aside. "Always come prepared," he grins.

He slips his hand into the waistband of Harry's pants and grips his cock lightly. Harry hisses at the contact and tenses up in his hold. Louis has to hold his breath as he eases his slicked-up palms up and down his length; he's so big. He supposes it fits him well though, with his large extremities and large nose and large heart. The only not big about him is his ears.

Louis finds himself growing hard in his trousers and a flush rises up the side of his neck because he did not just pop a boner thinking about Harry Styles' _ears_.

"Lou," Harry says breathlessly and Louis looks down to find that his movements have stopped and he’s simply staring at him now.

"Sorry," he mumbles and continues jerking him off.

Harry doesn't last long, and Louis figured as much, what with his raging pregnancy hormones making him hyper-sensitive to every little touch and his own extraordinary masturbation skills. He's coming all over Louis' hands and on their clothes in a matter of minutes with a loud groan.

" _Fuck_ ," Harry whispers, leaning his head back on the arm of the couch and breathing heavily.

Louis' own chest is heaving because he's still hard as a rock in his flannels and seeing the glistening column of Harry's throat so exposed like this and the faint blush on the apples of his cheeks isn't helping him at all. Everything about Harry is just so _beautiful_. He wants to kiss and lick and bite every inch of him.

With slightly trembling hands Louis tucks Harry's cock back in his pants for him and starts to rub himself off with the heel of his palm. He has to push Harry's legs aside a bit to reach his own crotch and the sudden movement causes Harry to lift his head up and look at him.

His pupils are still a tad dilated as he breathes out, "want me to help?" His hands are already reaching for Louis' cock but Louis just nudges him away, shaking his head.

"I got it, baby," he says, working his still slick hands up and down his length slowly. "Just relax and catch your breath. I'm not- I won't last long anyhow."

And he was right, because in a matter of seconds, after staring at Harry's sinful rose petal lips, he's spurting streaks of white onto both of their laps and he laughs before he's even fully stopped coming.

"This is a proper mess," he says, short of breath. "I hope I didn't ruin your couch."

Harry shakes his head slightly, the ghost of a grimace tugging at the corners of his mouth. He begins to push himself up. "No, you didn't. But my legs are starting to cramp up, so if you could-"

Louis' nodding and hopping off the couch onto unsteady legs before he can finish his sentence. The air in the living room is cooler than he expected after being in such close proximity with Harry for so long and he shivers a bit.

Harry pushes himself onto his feet and scrunches his nose up as he looks down at his pajamas. Miraculously, there's not a single drop on the couch; everything landed on the two of them. "I think I'm going to take a quick shower," he leans in to press a brief kiss to Louis' lips and is about to shuffle off to the bathroom when Louis grabs ahold of his hand.

“Wait,” he says. “Are you sure that was alright?”

Harry seems to understand what he’s trying to say and kisses him again, long and slow. “Yes,” he says, pulling away. “I promise,” and with one last smile he heads down the hallway.

Louis grins at his retreating back until the door closes and he decides that he's not gross enough for a shower of his own, he just needs to get changed and wash his hands maybe. He traipses into Harry's bedroom and strips his soiled clothes off, balling them up and throwing them into an empty laundry basket in one corner of the room. Standing naked, he sifts through Harry's dresser drawers and pulls out a pair of briefs that look too small to fit on Harry, a pair of pajama pants with TIE Fighters on them, and a T-shirt with a fading image of Elvis Presley in the center. He's stepping on the legs of the pants so he rolls them up over his ankles and the shirt is about two sizes too big for him so the neck hole is slipping down over his left shoulder but he's comfortable and they smell like Harry so he doesn't really mind.

He's just climbing into the queen-sized bed when Harry emerges from the bathroom outside in the hall and pads into the room. There's a white towel tied around his waist below his bulging belly and he's got his clothes under one arm. Louis almost has to look away at how his skin is glistening under the water droplets left behind on his shoulders or how his damp hair is twisted up in a bun in the back of his head and a few stray curls are sticking to the nape of his neck and to his temples because a sickly strong feeling is suddenly swirling around the pit of his stomach and it's chilling him from head to toe and his heart starts to thud against his chest and all of his nerves are standing on end for some reason and-

"Be my boyfriend."

 _Oh fuck._ The words are out of his mouth before he can stop them and Harry drops the clothes he was holding and shoulder checks the doorframe and the towel is snagged from around his waist and falls to the floor. He turns around to look at Louis with wide eyes, standing there stark naked.

They stare at each other in stunned silence for a few moments before Harry's looking down at himself and then back up to Louis. "I'm naked," he states. "You ask me this while I'm _naked_?"

Louis can't help the laugh that creeps up his throat and escapes his mouth and he rolls onto his stomach so he can shove his face into the pillow. It smells like Harry.

He can hear Harry shuffling around the room a bit and when the mattress dips beside him he looks up to find him fully dressed and frowning down at him.

"D'you really mean that?"

Louis flips over onto his other side and props himself up on his elbow. "Of course I do," he says equally as soft. "There's nothing I would want more."

Harry grins that little lopsided grin of his and leans down to capture Louis' lips in a kiss. He pulls away almost immediately though with a furrow to his brow.

"Louis, I'm pregnant," he says and Louis laughs.

"Really? I had no idea."

Harry huffs, biting back another smile and sitting up against the headboard, placing his hands on his stomach. "Come on, I'm serious."

Louis pushes himself up onto his knees beside him and rests one of his hands atop Harry's, curling his fingers around his palm. "I am too, love. I- I’m sorry, I know you said you weren’t ready for any type of relationship. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Harry fiddles with the hem of his pajama shirt. "You won't just have me, you'll have my baby as well and I don't- I mean- you'd be kind of getting thrown into fatherhood against your will."

Louis actually laughs at that. "Harry, I'm not doing anything against my will. I know what I'd be getting myself into and I’d fully committed, alright?” He looks at him. “I want you, your baby, and anything else that comes with being your partner. If you’ll have me, that is. If not, I fully understand. There’s no pressure here at all."

Harry's got his lip sucked between his teeth and for a split second Louis thinks he might say no, which, of course, is perfectly fine since he did express to him not so long ago his fears and hesitancies about being in another relationship, but then suddenly Harry’s throwing his arms around his neck and sighing.

"Okay," he says quietly.

Louis wraps his arms around his waist and holds Harry against him. His hands are kind of shaking, but that's okay. They're happy tremors. "Okay?"

"Yeah. I'll- I’ll be your boyfriend."

"Are you sure?" he asks into his neck.

“Yes.”

He smiles into his hair.

“Are you sure you want me though?” Harry pulls away and looks at him. “I don’t think I’m a good boyfriend-”

“You’re a good boyfriend.”

“But Adam-”

“ _Fuck_ Adam.”

Harry smiles so wide Louis’ sure the corners of his mouth are about to touch his ears. But seriously, fuck the guy who hurt Harry. He’s the scum of the earth.

“We’re going to have to take it kind of slow, though.”

Louis nods. “Anything you need, love. There’s no rush and no pressure, okay?”

He nods and they’re both silent for a few moments before Harry asks, "will you come to my check-up tomorrow?"

Harry's never invited him to one of his doctor’s appointments before and his heart jumps infinitesimally in his chest at the request.

"Yeah," he says almost breathlessly. "Of course."

“Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me, Harry,” he says. “Are you sure you’re alright with me sleeping in your bed tonight? Because I’ll be perfectly content out on the couch.”

He shakes his head. “It’s fine, Lou. Really. I…want you here.”

Louis smiles. “Good. Me too.”

Harry returns the smiles and leaves a kiss on his lips before climbing under the covers and situating himself on his side. Louis does the same and sidles up behind him, wrapping an arm around his waist. Today was a huge day of firsts for them and it was kind of exhausting. He's asleep before his head even hits the pillow.

**_***_ **

When Louis awakes the next morning, the sun is shining on his face through the open blinds, and the spot beside him is empty and cold. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes and flips the blankets off of this body. The hardwood floor is cool under his bare feet when he climbs out of the bed.

As he reaches the kitchen, he can see Harry standing at the counter with a plastic bowl set before him. It looks as if he's feeding Priscilla, judging by how the cat is weaving between his legs and crying ceaselessly.

"Okay, missy," Harry says down to her. "Just hold on there."

He chooses this moment to step up behind him quietly and lean his forehead between his shoulder blades with a sigh. He feels like he could fall asleep here. He feels comfortable here.

Harry doesn't startle terribly, just jumps a little and laughs it off. He throws the empty can of cat food into the trash and slips out from in front of Louis to set the bowl on the linoleum floor for Priscilla. Then he turns back to him and kisses him softly.

"Good morning, lover boy," he says, grinning against his lips. They both have a bit of morning breath, but neither really seems to mind much.

Louis has to clear his throat a few times before he's reciprocating the smile and saying, "hi, handsome. Sleep well?"

Harry nods and brushes Louis' bangs out of his eyes with the tips of his fingers. He can almost feel his belly pressing against his own from how close they were standing. "Yeah, pretty well. I had to get up to wee every five minutes, but that's nothing new."

He huffs a tired little laugh and rubs his hands up and down Harry's sides. "Doctors appointment today, right? What time is it?" If he’s being honest, he’s quite excited.

Harry glances up at the clock on the wall. It read _9:12_. "Quarter after ten. So we'll leave here in, say, half an hour?"

Louis nods, biting back a yawn. "Do you think we could stop off at my place first? I just want to change into some of my clothes and show my face to Niall so he doesn't think I'm dead."

Harry grins and nods. His hair had become loose in its bun during the night and was hanging limply at the nape of his neck. "Of course. Do you want to eat here, or pick something up on the way?"

He thinks for a moment; do they have time to whip up something really quick? He hopes so, because he doesn't want to subject Harry to eating some shitty fast-food breakfast-

"Not for nothing, but I'm craving a McDonald's hash brown right now."

Well. Fast-food it is then.

**_***_ **

They arrive at the clinic on time and walk in hand-in-hand with their bellies full of greasy McDonald's breakfast sandwiches. But it's okay; they can make up for it by having something somewhat healthy for lunch. Maybe do some yoga too. Harry signs in at the front desk and they make their way to an empty pair of chairs across the waiting room. There's only a second couple there waiting before them and Louis' glad they won't have to sit long. He decides he’ll keep himself entertained by trying to make up his own meanings for the abstract pieces of art hanging on the walls.

Harry stretches his feet out before him and squeezes Louis' hand once. That's another first for them; they've never held hands before this morning and it makes his heart swell in the slightest with how Harry's hand seems to mold perfectly around his own, how well their fingers slot together. They're kind of like puzzles pieces, the more he thinks about it. It feels nice.

The other couple, a man and a woman, are called back and Louis and Harry only have to wait another ten minutes before a nurse with a clipboard is peeking out at them and waving them back. They're led to a room at the end of the hall and Harry's told to take his shoes off.

"I just want to get your height and weight, hon," the nurse says, flashing her teeth in a grin and guiding him back out into the hallway. Harry lets out a dramatic sigh and she laughs. "Don't give me that, Mr. Styles, your weight is always what it should be when we check it. Now come on," he grins and follows her out.

They return a moment later and Harry climbs up onto the vinyl-covered bed, paper crinkling beneath his body as he lays back. The nurse pulls out a tape measure and measures the length of Harry's belly from his sternum to the button of his jeans and jots the numbers down on her clipboard.

"Alright," she says, tucking it under her arm. "Your doctor will be in in a moment, so just sit tight."

When she shuts the door behind her, Louis reaches for Harry's hand and rubs his thumb metronomically over his knuckles.

"Sorry if this is weird," Harry gives him an apologetic smile.

He refrains from outright laughing at him. "What? Love, I'm happy to be here with you.”

"Well- Adam never wanted to come to these things with me, so I figured-"

"I'm not Adam," Louis interrupts seriously. "I'm Louis and I want to be here. Alright, babe?" It’s true; he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world right now.

Harry smiles hesitantly at him and squeezes his hand. "Alright."

There's a quick knock on the door and an older woman with kind eyes and shoulder-length sandy hair peeks into the room. Harry perks up in the angled bed and she smiles at him the same way someone might if they were old friends.

"Good morning, Harry dear," she says, shutting the door softly behind her. She pats Harry's knee when she walks over.

"Hello, Carrie, how are you?"

"I'm well, love," she looks over at Louis with a surprised smile. "And who do we have here?"

Louis shakes her outstretched hand. "Louis Tomlinson."

"Doctor Ross," she says. "Or you can call me Carrie, as Harry does."

"She's like my second mum," Harry grins. He looks like a teenager.

Doctor Ross pats him on the leg affectionately. As any doctor appointment goes, she asks Harry how he's been feeling and checks his blood pressure and his vitals. She massages her hands around his belly for a few moments, checking for what, Louis doesn’t know, but when she was satisfied, wheeled over the ultrasound machine and switched it on.

"Alright, shirt up, pants unbuttoned," she pulls on a pair of latex gloves and tucks a piece of paper towel into the waistband of Harry's jeans when he unzips them. "You know the drill; this is going to be cold," she squirts a dollop of clear jelly onto his lower stomach and presses the ultrasound wand into his skin.

It's definitely not hard to miss the dark mass on the screen and Louis reaches for Harry's hand almost instinctually. He knew there was a baby in there, he's not _daft_ , it's just- this is so- this is so _surreal_.

"Little one seems to be doing well in there," Doctor Ross informs them. "Still want the gender to be a surprise?"

Harry immediately nods his head and Louis laughs a bit, squeezing his hand. "Gender isn't important to me. I just want them to be healthy, that's all."

She nods. "As they are. Would you like to hear the heartbeat?"

"Yeah," he finds himself answering for Harry. The doctor smiles warmly at him and flips a switch on the machine and the room is overtaken by a muffled, wet thudding.

He feels faint. His heart is pounding in his chest and before he knows it his eyes are stinging and he’s lifting Harry's hand to his mouth and kissing his knuckles.

Harry laughs, reaching up with his free hand to wipe at his teary eyes. "Gets me every time."

The doctor smiles and switches the machine off after a few seconds. "Strong heartbeat, that's good," she uses the piece of paper towel that was tucked in Harry's waistband to wipe the jelly from his stomach. Harry buttons his pants and pulls his shirt back into place.

Louis can't help but stare at the blank ultrasound screen. He's- he's always wanted kids, and the fact that he’s obtained a boyfriend and a child all in one go is mind-boggling. He doesn't know if he's just extremely lucky or if he should be terrified.

He's pulled from his thoughts by Harry scrabbling for his hand. He looks at him to find his nose scrunched and his free hand pressed into his side with a Braxton Hicks contraction. He kisses his knuckles. "Breathe, baby."

The doctor rubs his lower back until Harry's exhaling and sitting up straight. "Sorry, sorry."

Louis shakes his head and squeezes his hand. "Nothing to apologize for."

"Have you thought any more about joining a Lamaze class, Harry?" She asks.

Harry looks at her, wince still tugging at the corner of his lips. "Not really, no. Isn't it too late for that?"

"Oh, it's never too late," she waves her hands.

"I never had a partner to go with, that's why I never went to one," he looks down at his and Louis' hands, still locked together. Louis' heart breaks a little more for him; he shouldn't have had to go through any of this alone. He wishes he met him sooner. Like- _years_ sooner.

"Louis, love, what about you? Are you and Harry seeing each other?"

Louis grins, the shell of his ears heating up. "Yeah."

"Then that's perfect! I'll call up my good friend Jody who holds a birthing class downtown and let her know you two will be joining her class tomorrow!"

Harry laughs and nods. "Alright then. Sounds good."

"Okay," the doctor claps her hands together lightly. "I'm going to print out your sonogram; one copy, right?"

"Yeah-"

"Two," Louis finds himself saying. _Two._

Carrie gives him a knowing smile and leaves the room. Harry looks at him, lips parted. Louis just presses a kiss to his cheek.

(That night, when they eat dinner with Niall at their flat, Louis tacks his copy of the sonogram to the refrigerator. He swears Harry nearly cries)

(Niall too, but that just might be from the extra hot hot sauce he spilled on his burrito)

**_***_ **

Getting Harry out of bed the next morning for their scheduled Lamaze class was difficult; more difficult than he thought it’d be. He was up nearly the whole night tossing and turning trying to find a comfortable position and only- _finally_ fell asleep maybe three hours ago. He hates that he has to wake him up.

"Babe, come on," Louis whispers, squeezing his shoulder. Harry just snuffles against his pillow and turns onto his back. Louis shakes his head and leaves the bedroom, pulling the door closed behind him.

Niall was standing in the kitchen in front of the open fridge. He was decked out in his work garb; a pastel Ralph Lauren polo shirt and a pair of khakis (just because he works at a driving range for the summer means he's got to look like a million bucks, apparently), and he was- fastening a pair of earrings on? What the fuck?

Louis marches over to him, not even giving him a chance to say good morning before he was taking his head in his hands and staring at the tiny square studs.

"When did you get your ears pierced?"

Niall laughs and jerks out of his hold. He reaches into the fridge and pulls out an apple from the fruit drawer, shutting the door with his hip. "Last week, you git."

Louis scrunches his nose up. "Where was I?" Not home, obviously.

He takes a bite out of the Granny Smith after rubbing it on the front of his shirt. "With Harry, probably. You're barely home anymore, Lou."

Louis feels his heart sink to his toes. How could he have neglected Niall? "I'm sorry, bro," he sighs. "I've just been super focused on Harry, and-"

"Are you two dating then?" Niall interrupts, mouth full.

He nods slowly and Niall claps him on the shoulder.

"I'm happy for you. Just- don't forget about me, okay?"

Louis looks at him, smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "How could I ever forget about you?"

He puts him in a headlock and while Niall is squawking _"My hair! My hair!",_ the door to Louis' bedroom opens and out shuffles Harry with his disheveled hair and lethargic footsteps.

He lets Niall go at the first sight of him and meets him halfway across the living room to embrace him. "Good morning, love."

Harry presses his face into Louis' neck and sighs. "Morning."

He pulls away to look at him, hands on his waist. "Are you okay?"

Harry shrugs, but Louis can see the crease between his brows, the hunch in his shoulders.

"What hurts, baby?" He knows when he gets like this that something doesn’t feel right, either his back hurts, his joints ache, or his stomach is cramping up. He’s learned a lot about Harry in the time they’ve spent together.

At this point, Niall’s finished his makeshift breakfast and is tying up his sneakers near the front door.

"My back," Harry almost whispers. _Bingo_. "I didn't sleep well on it last night and it's really bothering me."

Louis clicks his tongue once and kisses him on the forehead. "Do you want to stay home today then?"

Harry shakes his head. "No, I really want to go. Maybe when we get back we can watch a movie at mine or something."

Louis nods. "Okay, yeah, that sounds good. Let's go get dressed, babe, and make something to eat."

**_***_ **

When they arrive at the yoga studio, the room is nearly full already with pregnant couples. The instructor, a slender woman in her thirties, approaches them with a smile the moment they walk in the door.

"Hello there, I'm Jody! You must be Harry and Louis!" She shakes both of their hands with vigor. "Carrie told me you'd be coming."

Despite the pain Harry was still in, he smiles wholeheartedly at her. They were led into the middle of the floor and Jody tells everyone to sit in a circle with the ones who were pregnant tucked between the legs of their partners.

They didn't do much stretching or moving around, mostly just talking and breathing exercises to his relief, but sitting on the hard floor didn't help his already sore back at all, despite the pillow they were instructed to bring placed underneath him.

Louis, on the other hand, seemed like he had a fantastic time and he didn’t waste any time letting Harry know.

"Did you have fun?" Louis asks him as he's pulling away from the building, placing a hand on his knee.

Harry sits up and blows out a breath. The pinch in his spine is getting to be quite annoying. "It was really informative, yeah. I just don't feel well, I'm sorry, Lou."

Louis shakes his head. "No, don't apologize, Harry. What would you like me to do?"

"Could you take me home?" He asks in a small voice. Adam never liked him to be by himself for long. "I need to do some chores and I think I want to take a nap with Priscilla."

Louis smiles and nods. "Of course, love. Whatever you want."

He almost sighs in relief. _Louis is not Adam._

When they pull up to his apartment complex, Louis tells him he'll come by around lunch time and kisses him once on the lips.

When he’s inside, Harry strips off his shoes and makes a beeline to his bedroom. He wanted the first time he goes to a Lamaze class to be a special occasion, but of course his fucked up back had to ruin it. He just hopes he didn’t ruin the day for Louis. He doesn’t think he did. Louis is so understanding, he could see it in his eyes that he just wanted Harry to get some rest. What did he ever do to deserve someone like him?

It’s true that he has some chores to do, but he didn’t actually plan on doing any of them today. He just wanted to tell Louis that in case he needed more of an excuse to go home than his back hurts.

Fuck. Why can’t you remember that _Louis. Is. Not. Adam?_

Harry sighs audibly and climbs under the covers in his clothes. The noon sun peaks through the blinds and he turns away from the window and shuts his eyes. The pillows still smell like Louis. He falls asleep to that smell.

**_***_ **

"Harry?"

He doesn’t know if he’s dreaming or not, so he just decides to ignore his name being called. _God_ , he’s so tired.

But then a hand is brushing the side of his face and the voice is saying, “babe,” and Harry finally recognizes it to be Louis.

He blinks open his eyes and smiles up at him. Louis was sitting next to him on the bed, grinning softly down at him. "What're you doing here?" His words come out slightly slurred.

"I've got a present for you," Louis picks up a body-length pillow from the floor and props it in front of him.

His sleep-swollen mouth drops open and he pushes himself into a sitting position. The baby wakes up with him and begins to kick him in his ribs. He ignores it and touches the blue pillow with glassy eyes. "A pregnancy pillow?" He’s seen these online, but they were always too expensive.

Louis nods, smiling. "Just for you. I know it really helped me mum when she was pregnant," he must notice the tears welling in his eyes because he asks quickly, "did I do something?"

Harry shakes his head, rubbing his eyes with his fists. "No, Lou, this is incredible. Thank you so much."

Louis stretches over the pillow to kiss him softly, kissing the tears on his lips away. He pulls away and wipes a thumb under his eye. "Why are you crying then, love?"

He gives him a small smile. "I don't know, I just- it's just- you care so much about me and I don't know why. I've never had someone do something like this for me before." Never.

Louis climbs over his legs and situates himself behind him, shooing Priscilla away who was sleeping on the edge of his pillow and pulling him close to him. Harry curls around the pregnancy pillow like a koala and sighs contently.

"Why are you so wonderful to me?"

"Because I love you.”

Those words don’t scare him as much as he thought they would.

**_***_ **

Waking up that next morning felt like waking up in some alternate universe, one where everything is fine and it’s impossible for anything to go wrong. Or maybe- maybe that’s true. Louis feels as if for once in his life, everything is falling into place. His job is going well and he’s pretty sure he’s going to be getting some kind of raise when the next schoolyear rolls around, he’s got this beautiful, blooming relationship with an incredible man, and a group of amazing friends. Speaking of which-

“Do you want to meet my other friends today?”

Harry looks over at him from the passenger seat. He was wearing one of Louis’ t-shirts he left at his apartment, one that’s always been too big for him and fits perfectly on Harry, and a pair of basketball shorts. “We have to do laundry today.”

That’s true, they both do, but, “laundry can wait. And I know everyone’s off today, so,” he shrugs. “What do you say?”

Harry grins at him. “Guess so.”

So Louis makes an illegal U-turn in the deserted backroad they were on (they just got back from watching the sunrise together at the lake; they try to catch it when they both have a good night’s rest) and Harry screams a little, holding onto the handle above his head. He pulls over to the side of the road and opens up a group message.

 **To: Zayn, Liam, & Niall**  
_Hey dudes, meet me at Applebee’s for breakfast???_

Not even a minute later, he starts getting responses:

 **Niall:**  
_Just eat breakfast at home for once you asshole I have a hangover_

 **Zayn:**  
_When bro?_

 **Liam:**  
_Wtf its soo early though ;(_

**To: Zayn, Liam, & Niall**  
_There’s someone I want you to meet. Meet me at the Applebee’s in town in 20 minutes, no complaining <3_

He puts his phone down before any of them can answer.

**_***_ **

When they get to the restaurant, the other three are already sitting down at a table across the room and Liam waves them over. Louis nods to the maître d’ and pulls Harry past her towards his friends excitedly. He feels like he’s in high school again.

“I look like garbage, Lou,” Harry whispers to him. "We should have stopped home and gotten changed."

Louis actually laughs at him. It’s scientifically impossible for Harry Styles to look anything but stunning. “That’s a lie and you know it.”

Harry groans in defeat just as they reach the table.

“Hey guys,” Louis says, rubbing a hand up and down Harry’s back. “This is my…boyfriend, Harry. Love, this is Zayn and Liam. Niall you obviously already know.”

Harry gives the pair a small wave. “Nice to meet you.”

“Good to meet you too, Harry! Sit down, you two, and let’s order some breakfast,” Liam says brightly. Louis can always count on him for making everyone feel comfortable.

They both squeeze into the booth on the empty side and open up the menus in front of them. Zayn motions a waitress over.

“Good morning, everyone,” she says. “Can I start you all off with some drinks?”

“I’ll have a coffee, black,” he says and looks to Niall next to him.

“Uh, gimme a tea, black, love.”

“Just a tall glass of orange juice will be good,” Liam smiles up at her. “Louis? Harry?”

“I’m going to have a cup of tea, two sugars, no milk,” he looks to Harry. “Love?”

“Just a water is fine, thank you.”

The waitress nods. “I’ll be back with your drinks in a moment and then I’ll take your orders if you’re ready.”

“Just a water?” he asks Harry when she walks away. “Is your stomach okay this morning?”

Harry gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Fine, Lou. My prenatals go down best with water, is all.”

“So,” Liam says, watching them with an amused smile. “How’d you two meet?”

“Tesco,” Niall answers. Louis shoots him a look and he laughs. “It’s true!”

“Yeah, it is,” Harry says, smiling. “Louis saw me struggling with my groceries and came to my rescue.”

“How come we haven’t heard of you sooner?” Zayn asks curiously, sipping at his water.

“Oh, we only just met, what? Two months ago?” he silently prayed that none of them will make any comments on that.

Liam and Zayn only share a brief glance and then are both looking at Harry’s belly.

“Ah, the kid’s not Lou’s,” Niall says.

“Niall,” Louis hisses just as Liam is saying, “oh?” and Zayn is saying, “Ni, we didn’t ask”.

Harry just laughs it off, but Louis can feel his discomfort in the tightening of his hand on his thigh. “It’s fine, babe. Uh, yeah, their father is my ex. No big deal, right?”

“Of course not,” Zayn says, giving him a small smile.

Its then that their waitress returns with their drinks, setting each mug and glass in front of them. “Alright, are you boys ready to order?”

“Oh,” Louis says. They forgot to even look at their menus. He glances at the other three boys across from them and sees them handing her their menus. “I guess so, yeah. Uh, I’m going to get two eggs over easy with rye toast and a side of corned beef hash. You, love?”

“I’ll get the same, please,” he says with a small smile. What a champ.

When the others order, Louis watches as Harry inconspicuously pulls his pill bottle from his back pocket and swallows one of the coin-sized vitamins with a sip of water. He rubs a hand over his belly and sighs. Leave it to Niall to make things awkward. Harry barely likes to talk about his baby’s father with him, so he couldn’t imagine how uncomfortable that comment must have made him.

“Okay?” he asks quietly.

Harry smiles and pecks him on the lips. “Yeah. I’m good. Let’s just have a nice breakfast with your nice friends,” he doesn’t detect any sarcasm in his tone at all. Honestly, Harry’s too good for him.

“So, Harry,” Liam says, taking a swig from his glass. “What do you do?”

Louis can feel him relax at his side. “I’m a barber. But I’m on paternity leave at the moment.”

“Oh thank God,” Zayn says “I need a good haircut. Think you can hook me up?”

Harry laughs and Louis absolutely relishes in the sound.

As their breakfast arrives and they all take their sweet time eating while they all joke and laugh with each other, Louis wonders if it’s possible to have platonic soul mates, because Harry seems to fit in with his friends like they’ve all known each other for years.

He thinks it’s quite possible.

**_***_ **

As the summer continued to blossom, so did Harry. His belly continued to grow along with his hair and his confidence and he was just all-around happy and healthy and glowing. Louis couldn't keep his hands to himself; he was always touching him or caressing him in any way at all times and he can tell how much Harry loved it.

Their days were spent either shopping for baby things or visiting Louis' mum or when the weather was just too warm to bear, they met up with Niall, Liam, and Zayn for a day in with movies and take-away and laughter. Louis accompanied Harry to all of his doctor’s appointments and birthing classes and he realized there's nothing more he'd rather be doing. When he said farewell to his students on that last day of school, he figured his summer would be spent coming up with future lesson plans and bumming around with the boys, not preparing to bring a child into the world. But he wouldn't want to change a thing.

When August rolled around and Harry had just hit the eight month mark of his pregnancy, they finally decided to get the nursery together since Louis knew how much Harry was dreading doing that on his own originally. Liam had picked up a few cans of paint and he and Niall said they were going to spend their day off painting the walls and assembling furniture for them. Zayn promised the first chance he gets away from his photography studio, he’ll come down and paint something special on the wall for them.

Harry has never been able to quite keep his nose out of things, so he was constantly peeking around the door frame into the room and Liam threatened multiples that if he didn't leave them alone, he was going to dump a bucket of paint on him.

Obviously fearing for his boyfriends safety and well-being, Louis takes Harry by the elbow and pulls him into the kitchen, saying for the umpteenth time, "come on, love, let's leave them be. The smell isn't good for you or the baby anyway."

Harry begrudgingly follows him. He stops when he sees the pair of electric clippers and scissors sitting on the tabletop. "What's this for, Lou?"

He smiles and pulls out a chair, dropping himself into it. "Can you give me a trim? I could use one before I go back to school."

Harry lights up and it makes Louis' heart swell. He knows that with the third trimester comes a lot of pent up energy, and Harry's been itching to cut someone's hair lately, so why not indulge him? He really does need a trim anyway.

"Yeah, sure! Do you want something dramatic or just a cleanup?" Harry asks, already taking a dishtowel from the countertop and draping it over the back of his shoulders.

"Just clean it up, babe; the long hair is starting to get too hot on the back of my neck," Louis says. "I've been contemplating whether or not to steal one of your headbands."

Harry laughs and taps him on the shoulder. "Up, then. I just want to rinse you under the faucet."

The cool water felt like a god-send on the top of his head. Harry didn't shampoo him or anything, just wet his hair a bit and sat him back down in the wooden chair. He ran to the bathroom to grab a brush and his blow-dryer and Louis shuts his eyes as he starts to work his magic.

One thing Louis always loved when he went to the salon was how the hairdresser always pressed their whole body up against him when trimming his hair to reach the right angles. It was such an odd sense of comfort when they did that, and he couldn't help but sigh with an air of contentment when he could feel Harry's soft belly pressing up against the back of his neck as he took the pair of scissors to his hair.

He’s just blow-drying him when Liam walks into the kitchen, a streak of yellow paint on his cheekbone. "We're done, guys. Nice hair, Lou."

Louis nods in thanks and stands from the chair. He pulls his phone from his pocket and opens the camera. His hair is in the same style he always wears it, just considerably shorter and the cool air on the back of his neck feels refreshing.

Harry pulls the dishtowel from his shoulders and wipes away any stray pieces of hair from his skin and shirt. It's no use though; he's always itchy as hell after a trim.

He presses a firm kiss to Harry's lips and they follow Liam down the hall into the nursery. Louis feels his body start to prickle from head to toe. The walls are painted a soft yellow color and there was a large calligraphic _S_ stenciled over the wooden crib. The paint was seemingly dry, so Niall and Liam had arranged the furniture around the room but kept it bare. He and Harry will have to put away the toys and clothes and other necessities they've bought later, but that's alright.

"Guys, this looks so good," Harry's saying, hand resting atop his belly and face alight as he looks around the room.

Louis leans into his side and nods. "Yeah, pastel was a good choice."

Niall scans over the walls approvingly, then looks back at them with a smile. "Hope the little tyke likes it as much as you lot do."

Harry walks into the room and rests a hand on the rail of the crib, smiling up at the letter painted above him. "I'm sure they will."

_******* _

As the sun begins to set later that evening, Niall and Liam have long since gone home and the rest of the baby's belongings were put away in their rightful places. Louis walks into the nursery after finally sweeping the hair clippings from the kitchen floor to find Harry conked out in the rocking chair.

He stops in the doorway and watches him sleep for a few moments. His hair is pulled back, showing off his chubby cheeks and his hands are hanging over the arms of the chair. Louis bites his tongue to keep from laughing when he notices the tiny newborn onesie resting over Harry's round belly, like he was folding it and fell asleep halfway through.

He creeps into the room and plucks the little onesie off him and tucks it into one of the dresser drawers. He grabs the baby blanket that sat on the railing of the crib and drapes it over Harry's sleeping form, leaning down to kiss him on the forehead. He lingers for a moment before walking out, small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. _Beautiful_.

_******* _

Harry always wanted to have a pre- and postnatal photoshoot, ever since he first became pregnant, but he knew from the start that Adam would never want that. (He knew a lot of things about Adam from the start, actually) So once he was on his own, he figured he’d just get a few photographs taken of him by himself, but now he has Louis, and Louis’ introduced him to Zayn who offered to take the pictures free of charge, and honestly, things couldn’t get any better.

They decided to do the mini photoshoot on a lazy Sunday evening when the weather has cooled down a tremendous amount from the blazing afternoon heat. Zayn was due to shut his studio down in an hour or so, so the place was dim and quiet save for a corner he set up with bright umbrella lights and a white backdrop. Harry was dressed in a soft red button-down and black jeggings, while Louis was dressed in a nice black dress shirt and slacks. They looked like a proper little family, which-

“Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked Louis beside him. They were sitting on the blanketed floor while Zayn was a few feet across from them fiddling with his equipment. “Because, like…,” he doesn’t want to say anything that might potentially hurt Louis’ feelings, but he doesn’t particularly know if he…wants to be this involved. Family portraits are for, well, families, and he doesn’t know if Louis considers them that so early in their relationship.

“Honey,” Louis soothes, throwing an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close. He’s using his calm voice, as Harry likes to call it. The voice that pulls him out of his down-in-the-dump moods. “I told you last night, this morning, and on the way over here that yes, I want to do this with you. Do you want me to be here?”

Harry nods without even missing a beat. “Yes, of course I want you to be here. But I don’t want you to feel obligated to be…,” he sighs. Nothing that comes out of his mouth can sound good.

Louis just kisses his shoulder. “I know what you’re trying to say, love, and I want to be a part of this family as much as you’ll allow me to. I want to be your partner in every sense of the word. Is that okay with you?”

He feels like a substantial weight has been lifted off of his shoulders as he nods again, smiling. “Yes. It’s more than okay, Lou. We both want you here,” he takes Louis’ hand in his and places it on his stomach. Louis laughs when he feels the light kicking on his palm.

“Alright, you two,” Zayn claps his hands together, walking towards them. “We ready?”

Louis nods his head but doesn’t remove his hand from his belly. “That we are, my good sir. How do you want us to pose?”

Zayn gives them one of his soft smiles and puts his hands on his slender hips. “I actually think you guys look pretty good just like that. Just-” he crouches before them and brushes Harry’s hair over one shoulder, then shifts Louis’ hands around a bit so his left one is clutching Harry’s shoulder, and his right one is sitting more neatly on his belly. He stands back up and says, “Lou, I want your legs to be to the side- yeah, just like that, and Harry, could you cross yours for me? Perfect. Okay, and put your hands on the sides of your stomach. Beautiful, _bellissimo_.”

Louis laughs and Harry can feel it throughout his whole body. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in-action like this before, Z.”

Zayn shrugs as he walks back to his camera. “I take what I do seriously. And you two mean a lot to me, so I just want this to be special.”

Harry feels his cheeks heat up. “Thank you again for doing this for us, Zayn. We appreciate it.”

He waves them off and looks down into the lens. “Don’t thank me, mate. It’s my pleasure. Alright, I think we’re set. Ready? Three, two, one, smile!”

They do about four different poses, and by the end of the evening, Harry lost count of how many times the shutter went off. One thing’s for sure though, they’re going to need a forklift to get him off this floor.

“Okay, guys,” Zayn says. “I think we’re good.”

Louis groans in relief and jumps to his feet. Oh how he wishes he could still move that fast. “How’d they turn out, Malik?”

“Spectacular. You boys look gorgeous together.”

“Ah, Harry compliments me nicely, doesn’t he?”

Laughing, he reaches over to smack Louis in the shin. “Help me up, you doofus.”

“Yes, your highness,” he lets Harry grab ahold of his hands and he pulls him carefully to his feet.

Once standing, Harry stretches his back out and rubs both of his hands down his stomach. It feels as if he’s woken the baby from a nap and they are not happy about it.

“Everything alright?” Louis asks him.

“Yeah, baby’s just being a little roly-poly. Think I woke them up,” he rubs at the dip in his spine. “But sitting on that floor for so long surely didn’t do any wonders for my back.”

“How about you sleep at mine tonight, since I know my bed is softer than yours, and I give you a nice massage?”

Harry looks at him with his eyebrows raised. He didn’t even have to ask.

**_***_ **

Later that night, when Louis has his hands moving methodically over Harry’s naked body, he can’t help but to get a little hard. It’s just- he hasn’t had sex in _so long_. Not since he got pregnant. In fact, that was the last time.

Upon noticing this, Louis stills his movements and crawls in front of Harry who was sitting cross-legged on the bed facing the wall. “Love?”

Stupidly embarrassed, he grabs a pillow from Louis’ side and places it over his lap. “Sorry.”

Louis places a hand on his shoulder and smiles brightly. “Sorry? Harry, you don’t have to _apologize_ , baby. Do you want me to do something about it?”

“Uh, if you don’t mind?”

“Okay, what do you want me to do? Get you off with my hands? Mouth? Tongue?”

A cold sweat breaks out on the back of his neck as he chokes out, “want you inside me.”

Louis’ eyes widen and he removes his hand from his shoulder. “You want me to fuck you?”

He nods meekly. He doesn’t know why he’s so shy about this, it’s Louis. Then again- sex has never exactly been a…enjoyable activity for him. Adam was always so _rough_. It’s no wonder he ended up pregnant.

“Okay, alright,” Louis says. He jumps off the bed and locks the door to the bedroom. Niall is most likely passed out on the couch by now, but better safe than sorry. He climbs back on the bed and strips off his boxers and socks. “How do you think this will be most comfortable for you, baby?”

“I want to ride you,” seeing sweat start to bead at his hairline and his cock start to grow hard gives Harry the smallest burst of confidence.

Louis nods. “Okay, let me just-” he reaches into the nightstand drawer and pulls out a small bottle of lube. “Hands and knees, my love.”

Doing as he’s told, Harry turns around and props himself up on his hands and knees, the size of his belly forbidding him from going down onto his elbows. “Good?” he breathes out.

“Perfect,” Louis says. He can hear the bottle of lube open up with a snick and the alarmingly cold feeling of it sliding down his asscrack. And then- _holy fuck_.

“ _Louis_ ,” he almost yells when Louis’ tongue is suddenly inside of him. The sensation is so good and so overwhelming that he nearly comes right there on the spot. But- he can’t. No, he wants to feel Louis’ cock up his arse before he comes, wants to hold on for as long as he can.

Louis eats him out for a solid fifteen minutes and by the time he finally pulls away panting, Harry is almost in tears. Partly from pleasure, partly from pain. “Lou, I can’t- can’t hold myself up like this much longer.”

“Okay,” Louis says, clearing his throat, “Okay baby, think you’re opened up enough?”

“ _Fuck_ yes,” he sits up on his knees and turns towards Louis. He kisses him and he tastes like cheap lube and ass but he can’t bring himself to care.

“Hop up then,” Louis breathes into his mouth.

Wasting no time, Harry climbs onto his lap and sinks down on his cock. The stretch sends rivets of pleasure up his spine and he shudders with it. He only takes a second to bottom out before he’s rocking back and forth with as much vigor as he can with his constantly fatigued body.

Louis holds onto his hips with a tight grip and moans breathily. “God.”

“I want to kiss you,” he says, hands on Louis’ shoulders and fingers playing with the damp hair at the back of his neck. He can’t lean down far enough with his belly in the way and it’s frustrating him.

Louis knows this and settles for leaning forward and kissing his stomach. “I’ll kiss you all you want in a little bit, baby. I’ll snog you senseless.”

A whine erupts from his throat and bounces on Louis’ cock, over and over hitting that one spot that makes stars burst behind his eyes. Louis holds onto him so surely and moves with him so precisely that he’s coming in a matter of minutes all over the both of them with a loud swear.

“Fuck, I wanted to last longer than that,” he says.

Louis gives a breathless little laugh and slides him off his lap. “That’s alright, love. You obviously needed that. Come help me with this?”

Harry pushes Louis’ hands away and takes his cock in his hand, jerking him slowly. He uses his other hand to grip the back of his head and shove their mouths together. They kiss until they’re out of breath and moaning and Harry’s movements become sloppy and lethargic.

“Fuck, I’m-” Louis says against his lips. “Harr-”

“Come for me, baby. Come- come on.”

So Louis comes with a cry of Harry’s name but they don’t stop kissing. They kiss and kiss and kiss until Harry can’t feel his tongue and his jaw is starting to get tired. Finally Louis pulls away, flushed from his chest all the way up his neck and hair hanging limp and damp across his forehead.

“You are so… _hot_ ,” he says, pushing his hair off his warm skin. It’s true; he definitely doesn’t say it much, but Louis is so goddamn attractive he doesn’t know how someone who looks like a fucking Greek god can settle for someone like him.

Laughing, Louis kisses him once more and tucks his disgustingly sweaty hair behind his ears. “Me? Have you _seen_ yourself, love? You’re absolutely stunning.”

Blushing and looking away, he says, “no…”

Louis takes his face in his hands. “Yes. You’re gorgeous.”

“Lou-”

He kisses him. “Beautiful.”

Another kiss.

“Hot.”

Kiss.

“Ethereal.”

Kiss.

“Handsome.”

Kiss.

“ _Lovely_.”

Laughing, Harry pushes him away. “Okay, okay.”

Louis pecks him once more on the tip of his nose and springs up from the bed. “I’m going to wet a washcloth and wipe us both down.” He goes into the bathroom and comes back a moment later with a sopping cloth. “Lie down on your back, baby.”

Harry settles his head on his pillow and shuts his eyes while Louis takes the washcloth to the grimiest parts of his body, dragging it over his come-sticky skin with slow movements. Adam never did this for him. They would fuck and that would be it; he never took the time to help clean him up or make sure he was comfortable. Just thinking about that makes tears spring to his eyes and he holds his breath to staunch his overwhelming emotions.

“Good, love?”

And just like that, those two little words make him break down, eyes suddenly overflowing and a sob escaping from his mouth. He’s a mess. He can’t cry every time Louis says something nice to him, that’s pathetic.

“Baby, baby, what’s the matter?” He asks hurriedly, placing the washcloth on the bed beside them. He takes his face in his hands and Harry opens his eyes to see the concerned crease between his brows and that only makes him cry harder. Makes him choke on his sobs and shy away from Louis’ touch. “Harry.”

“I’m sorry,” is all he can manage. He feels like his lungs are too big for his chest and he can’t breathe.

“Harry, shh, what are you sorry for?” Louis asks in that voice.

“For _me_!” He nearly screams, pushing himself up into a sitting position. “I’m so fucked up, Lou. I’m so fucked _up_. You care for me so much, and for what? I just- I don’t understand how you can love me so much, how- how you treat me so much better than _him_!”

Louis’ face softens a tremendous amount and he crawls on the bed in front of him, taking his hands. “I love you. And it may be way too early in a relationship to say that, but fuck it. You need to know how I feel, okay? I love you so much, and you deserve the world, Harry, you always deserved more than what he gave you.”

Sniffing, he says, “everything is just so overwhelming, I’m sorry-”

“Stop saying sorry,” Louis tells him, rubbing his hands down his bare arms.

“He never did anything you do for me,” his heart is pounding so hard in his chest and his head feels like it’s two seconds from exploding. He feels sick. “He never- never asked me how I was or if I was okay when I would get quiet. He never cooked me dinner or bought me things for the hell of it or took me out on dates or offered to wash me down after sex. Everything was such a chore for him and I felt like- still feel like such a burden. I don’t want to be an inconvenience, Louis, I-”

Louis collects him onto his lap like a child, arms wrapping so tightly around his body. “Harry, sweetie, you are no such thing. Do you hear me? You are an absolute treasure to this world, and you deserve to be spoiled and given everything you want and need. You are so _special_ , Harry.”

He hears him, but he can’t- he can’t _breathe_. Can’t answer him. He feels like he’s dying, Jesus Christ. He’s choking on tears and the lump in his throat and he’s _dying_.

“Honey, did you hear me? Are you okay?” He places his hands on his face, thumbs wiping under his eyes. “Fuck, you’re having some sort of an attack.”

He is, but he doesn’t know what’s wrong with himself.

“Okay, okay,” Louis stands from the bed and pulls on his boxers. His hair is wild and his eyes are bloodshot. He runs from the room and he can hear him rummaging around in one of the kitchen drawers. He comes back into the bedroom with Harry’s spare inhaler and wastes no time climbing back onto the bed and holding it to his mouth. “Love, open up.”

He takes a few puffs of the medication and when Louis pulls away his heart isn’t rabbiting so hard against his ribs and his head doesn’t hurt as bad but tears are still pouring from his eyes and he’s so tired.

“Alright, you’re okay, bub,” Louis places the uncapped inhaler on the nightstand and holds him again, shushing him and kissing the top of his head. “Can you talk?”

Swallowing thickly, he mumbles a small, “yeah.”

“That’s good, baby. How do you feel? How’s your tummy?” He places a slightly trembling hand on his belly.

“Fine. We’re both fine. Thank you.”

Louis presses his lips to his forehead and Harry can feel the smile against his skin. “I love you.”

He musters a small smile of his own. “I love you, too.”

“How about we go take a nice, warm bath and hit the hay?”

That sounds like the best thing in the world right now. “Okay.”

When they stand from the bed, Louis pulls him into a hug and sighs against his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re alright, baby.”

He squeezes him as tight as he can. “Me too.”

**_***_ **

“Honey.”

Harry forces his eyes open to find Louis leaning over him, grin plastered on his beautiful face.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.”

“What time is it?” He mumbles. The blinds are closed, so he isn’t able to tell if the sun is even up or not.

“A bit past eight,” Louis says. He leans down and kisses him. He tastes like tea and toothpaste. “Niall’s gone already.”

“Why are you waking me up then? I had a bit of a rough night last night, if you didn’t notice,” he pushes himself up in the bed with a groan. He feels better this morning though, despite how swollen his eyes are.

Louis’ face softens considerably. “I know, baby, and that’s why I want to take you out this morning. All day, actually. We haven’t been on a legitimate date in a while, so I thought maybe we could make a day out of it.”

That sounds…fantastic, actually. He smiles up at him. “Alright, buddy. But you better make it good.”

“Don’t underestimate me, Styles.”

So they both shower and get dressed and Louis brings him to his favorite retro diner in town for breakfast and lets him order whatever he wants (not like he doesn’t usually), then they drive into the city to do some shopping for a few hours. Lunch is at an expensive restaurant that actually serves baked Alaska as a desert, and they watch two consecutive movies at the cinema before getting dinner somewhere closer to home. By the end of the night, they’re both exhausted and Harry’s feet have swelled up an awful amount, but he’s happy.

He’s happy and in love and that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?

**_***_ **

With his due date fast approaching, Louis knew he had to throw a baby shower for Harry soon. Harry never mentioned anything about having one, in fact he made it clear how much he _didn't_ want Louis to throw one, but it's Louis and he just won't listen. Especially if it means making Harry happy.

He decided to throw it on the 29th, Liam's birthday and a little less than two weeks until Harry's due date. Liam was the one who suggested it, actually. He thought it would be the best way to make sure Harry doesn't suspect anything, and he was right. Harry was out for most of the morning picking up a few groceries he needed and the hour he was gone was the perfect amount of time for them to decorate his apartment with streamers and balloons and for everyone to arrive.

The intimate group consisted of Louis, Zayn, Liam, Niall, and Harry's older sister (who he got the number to from Harry’s contacts). Liam reminded him constantly how much Harry doesn't like big gatherings, and Louis respected that.

When he sees Harry's car pull into the parking lot through the kitchen window, he perches himself on the arm of the sofa and waits. When the doorknob jiggles and the door finally opens, everyone holds their breath until Harry steps into the apartment.

When he did, they didn't waste any time springing to their feet and yelling _"surprise!"._ Harry promptly drops his groceries to the floor, one hand flying to his chest and the other to his belly.

Louis makes his way over to him as his mouth drops open and presses a kiss to his cheek. "Hi, love!"

Harry looks over everyone's faces, then to his. "Lou," he gapes. His eyes were as bright and as green as the summer leaves outside. "What is this?"

Louis shakes his head because he knows exactly what this was. But he says it anyway. "A baby shower."

"For me?"

"No, for Mr. Rogers."

"Oh my God, thank you so much."

Louis kisses him on the mouth. "You don't have to thank me. Liam said you didn't want one, but…"

Harry smiles softly at him. "You're stubborn for all the right reasons."

"I try."

"Bub!" Louis steps aside as Harry's sister, Gemma, finally pushes her way over to them, effectually ending their moment. "Baby bro, how are you? You're glowing!"

A light blush colors Harry's cheeks as he hugs her. "Gems, love, I missed you."

Gemma pulls away, her hands settling on Harry's sides. "I missed you too, so much. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling well, yeah. Really excited."

"Not much longer now," she says. "You're still going to have a natural birth, right?"

Harry glances briefly at Louis before shaking his head. "No, uh, no. I…decided not to."

His sister cocks her head. "But I thought you really wanted that?"

"There's merlot in the kitchen for all the non-preggers people," Niall interrupts, obviously seeing how uncomfortable Harry's becoming. Sometimes Louis really loves him.

When the two of them leave to fetch a glass of wine, Louis turns to Harry, resting a hand on his arm. "Did you want a natural birth?" He asks softly.

Harry looks down to the floor. He suddenly looks much younger than what he was. "I did, but- Adam didn't want that. He said it was a bad idea and I- I agree with him."

 _Adam didn't want that._ "Well, he was a right prick," that made Harry smile. “You can do whatever makes you most comfortable.”

Harry laughs and presses his forehead into his neck. "You’d be okay with that, then?"

Louis winds an arm around his back. "Of course I am. Your body, your baby, your decision, okay?"

Harry sighs against his collarbone. "It’s going to be painful. For you and me both."

“I think it’ll be fine.”

Harry pulls away and smiles at him.

Louis didn't put together a cliché baby shower like in the movies with all the fancy games and fancy snacks and shit; he really just wanted to get the people who care about Harry most together to show how much he's loved. And after a few hours, Harry was sitting on the sofa flanked by Louis and Zayn with a bowl of pretzels in his lap, laughing along with everyone. There was a flush to his cheeks and a twinkle in his eyes and Louis doesn't think he's seen him so happy before.

It was nearing the end of the day, the clock striking 5pm, and things were starting to wind down when Harry gasped suddenly, alerting everyone in the room.

"Liam," he says. Liam cocks an eyebrow at him from the love seat across the living room. "It's your birthday!"

He cracks a grin. "Yeah."

"I completely forgot, oh my God. This should be a party for _you_ , not me."

He waves a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, it's your day as well. And besides, I'm going out for drinks later with a few of my mates. It's alright, H."

Harry pouts and slumps against the couch. "Okay."

"I think I’m going to get going," Zayn stands and stretches.

"Me too," Niall says. "Got to be up early for work. You coming home tonight, Tommo?"

Louis snakes an arm around Harry's shoulders and shakes his head. "Nah, I'm going to stay here again."

Niall gives him a dubious look, a slight crease between his brows. "Alright."

Louis doesn't question it. Soon everyone is exchanging hugs and kisses and filing out of the apartment until it's just Louis and Harry and Priscilla left.

"Presents," Louis says and stands from the couch. He pulls out three gift bags from behind the sofa and sets them next to Harry. “I figured you’d want to open them once everyone left.”

Harry looks at him, lips parted. "Lou, I don't need _gifts_."

Louis kneels on the cushion next to him, pushing the bags closer. "Sure you do. Now open them."

Harry rolls his eyes in exaggeration and reaches for the first bag. It was from Liam, and inside was a mint green baby-sized beanie with a little _S_ embroidered onto the front. Harry gasps and clutches it to his chest. "I love it."

He smiles. "Yeah? I'll let him know."

He sets the little hat to the side and fishes his hands into the next gift bag. It was from Zayn and it was three framed photographs from their photoshoot. Harry stares at the pictures with his bottom lip between his teeth.

"They turned out so nice," he whispers.

Louis kisses his temple. "They did," they really look like a little family.

He hands him the next bag. Niall got him a pair of baby vans and Louis kind of wants them for himself. The last bag was from Gemma. Harry pulls out a pair of satin red panties and he drops them right back into the tissue paper with a blush coloring his cheeks.

"Only she would get me this, I swear," he mumbles, pushing the bag aside. Louis can't help but laugh. Harry sticks his hands into the last bag, Louis' bag, and his mouth immediately drops open when he pulls out a ring box. Glancing at Louis he opens the box and stares inside.

"Here," he says, taking the ring from him and pushing it onto his middle right finger. On the front of the thick silver band was the name _Sam_ engraved in calligraphy. "When they're born, I'll get the date on the back, if you want."

Harry looks from his hand to Louis and back again. "Lou…this is too much, I-"

Louis leans forward and silences him with a kiss. "Shush now," he says when he sits back. "Just accept my gift and be quiet. Would you rather I buy you lingerie?"

Harry grins and shakes his head, rubbing his thumb over the name on the ring. "Thank you so much."

Louis squeezes his thigh and smiles. "Anything for you."

_******* _

Later that night when they're sidled up together in bed (well, as close as they can be with Harry's pregnancy pillow between them), Louis reaches forward to brush Harry's hair off his shoulder and breaks the comfortable silence.

"I was going to invite your mum as well," he says quietly. "But your sister said not to."

Harry sighs and hikes his leg up higher over his pillow, almost until his knee is to his chest. Louis will never understand how he's so flexible with a belly as big as his. Whatever's comfortable for him, he guesses.

"That's fine. We're not exactly speaking, my mum and I."

Louis tucks his hands under his pillow. Well, Harry's pillow, really. "Why not?"

Harry keeps his eyes shut. A crease forms between his brows. "Well, long story short, she really liked Adam, like- really liked him. She thought he was perfect for me and when I got pregnant she said that I was irresponsible and that she won't have any grandchild born out of wedlock. What is this, the 1950's?" He huffs out a little laugh against his pillow. "But Adam didn't want kids, or to get married. So we broke up and my mum hasn't spoken to me since."

Louis finds Harry's hand and squeezes it once. Harry opens his eyes. "I'm so sorry, love. No one deserves to be treated like that by their own mother. What about your dad?"

"I speak to my dad every once in a while. We're fine."

He smiles softly at him. "Well I'm glad for that. And my mum and Dan are always here for you too, remember that."

Harry smiles back at him. "I know."

Louis feels like his throat is going to close up. He's so chock-full of affection for this boy he feels like steam is about to come from his ears. He never thought he could fall for someone so hard in just a few months. It's otherworldly. He squeezes his hand once more.

"I love you," Harry says quietly and Louis nearly swallows his tongue.

"Yeah?" He breathes out.

Harry nods against his pillow.

"I'm glad the feeling is mutual then."

Harry pushes himself up in the bed and leans down to kiss Louis on the lips, whispering a goodnight against his lips. Then he throws his pregnancy pillow on the other side of him and lays back down, now with his back to Louis.

Louis slots himself behind him, leaving tiny kisses behind his ear and sliding his hand under his sleep shirt. The skin of Harry's belly was soft from his mother’s lotion and so, so warm. Harry falls asleep in a matter of minutes, but Louis stays awake for a while with his palm pressed to his stomach. The baby seems restless tonight, tossing and turning and pressing their little feet so hard into his skin that Louis was afraid they were hurting Harry. They probably were to an extent, because after one particularly strong kick Harry was jolting awake and sprinting to the bathroom.

Louis was asleep before he came back.

_******* _

The euphoria of the night before was gone without a trace the next morning.

Louis was awake first, so he managed to feed the cat, make some tea, and cook up a few strawberry and banana pancakes. They had nothing to do that day, so he planned on taking Harry out to the little antique village in town, maybe a nice lunch and a movie too, but when Harry comes out of the bedroom with a hand glued to his back and a scowl on his lips he knew none of that was going to happen.

"Morning baby," Louis says, approaching him with his arms outstretched.

"Don't touch me," Harry slips passed him and lowers himself into one of the kitchen chairs with a low groan.

Louis stands there for a moment holding his hands awkwardly at his sides before sitting down across from him. The stack of pancakes was cooling between them. "Are you alright? What's the matter, love?"

Harry props his head in his hands on the tabletop. "I feel like shit."

He can definitely see that in the crease of his brows. He wants to reach over and touch him, but thinks against it.

"My back hurts so badly and my hips feel all achey and stiff. I think I slept maybe two hours last night."

Louis clicks his tongue sympathetically. He really needs to invest in getting Harry a new mattress. Maybe one of those memory foam ones. "I'm sorry, baby. What can I do? Want me to draw you a bath?"

Harry looks up at him. Louis notices the bags under his eyes. "No. I just want to eat something and go sit out on the couch," he reaches for a plate and forks two pancakes onto it. Louis pushes the bottle of syrup towards him. "You can go home if you want, Lou. I'm just going to be a grump today."

Louis laughs and shakes his head. "Home is with you, silly. I want to take care of my two babies."

He definitely catches Harry's smile as he shoves the fork in his mouth.

_******* _

Staying in was probably a better choice anyway because the temperature outside was brutal. The air-conditioned apartment was the best place to be.

Harry settles between Louis' legs on the couch while they watch television and Louis spends the time rubbing his belly idly much like he did the night before. The baby was way more active though, and Harry kept squirming in his place, constantly shifting positions. Eventually he just leaned back against Louis' chest with an exasperated sigh.

At one point Harry leaned forward with a small groan, legs flopping open and hands on his ankles. “God, can’t I catch a _break_?” he says to himself.

Louis put his hands on his waist and tries to look over his shoulder. “Braxton hicks?”

Harry nods, settling back against his chest hesitantly. “I’ve been having them off and on all night.”

Louis can sleep through a hurricane, he swears. “Yeah? I’m sorry, baby.”

Harry just shuts his eyes and sighs. Realizing there isn’t really anything he can do to help him, Louis continues flipping through the channels and ends up stopping on some Hallmark romcom about a young couple adjusting to parenthood and he can’t help but smile into Harry’s hair.

He scratches his fingers along Harry's side. "This is going to be us, huh?"

Harry only breathes out a little huff of laughter in response. He knows how talking about the baby always puts him in a good mood, so maybe this will help him take his mind off how he’s feeling.

"Forgetting to bring an extra nappy with us when we go out," he laughs. "Filling their bottle with coffee instead of formula. Forgetting to pick them up from school," Harry adjusts in his lap without a word and a thought comes across him. "Hey, they can go to my school when they're older! That sounds like a pretty good idea, yeah? I can be their teacher, and I'll be able to drive them in every day, and-"

"Okay, Lou," Harry interrupts.

Louis stops, hands stilling on Harry's belly. Did he say something wrong? They're both quiet for a few moments.

"You sound like you're going to be doing everything," Harry finally says. "What am I? Stay-at-home-mum?"

Louis fish-mouths for a second. He knows that Harry's feeling poorly, but _damn_. "I just want to help you out."

Harry sighs, carding a hand through his hair. He slides out of Louis' lap and turns to face him. "You already do! So _much_ , Louis. I just- don’t go excluding me."

Louis watches him steadily. "What do you mean?"

"I feel incompetent when you wait on me hand and foot," he says quietly. "And you're always talking about all these different things you're going to be doing with the baby and it makes me feel like chopped liver- it’s so overwhelming.”

That’s not what he was trying to-

"You're not their father."

Louis feels his stomach drop and he presses himself back against the couch as if Harry's words were a slap in the face. And they kind of were. After all the times Harry has told him how he’s going to be more of a father to them than their actual father, he says this? Thanks for pointing out the obvious.

Harry's face pales and he reaches forward, but Louis is already on his feet. "Lou- I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

Louis shakes his head. There's this odd feeling in his chest. "It's fine, it's just the truth. I'm sorry that I wanted to be involved."

And like something out of an angsty romance novel, he slips on his shoes and leaves Harry's apartment without another word.

_******* _

Niall is sitting in front of the television when Louis walks in. "Look who's finally home," he says dryly.

Louis stops in the kitchen and furrows his brows at him.

"Oh, you're still in your sleep clothes," Niall looks over. "Did you just stop by to pick up some lube? Condoms, maybe?"

"What the fuck is your problem?" Louis asks him. He’s not in the mood for this.

Niall just shrugs and looks away, switching the channel with the remote. "Well, you've been up Harry's ass the past few weeks, so I figured-"

"Fuck you," Louis nearly spits. "What's your problem?" He asks again.

"You're never home! I used to rarely come home from work to an empty apartment and now it's all the time, Lou. I never _see_ you anymore."

Louis feels himself physically deflate and he scrubs a hand down his face. He's so tired. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean- this is a new relationship, Harry and I's. It's delicate, and he's also about to have a baby, so I'd just like to be with him more often, alright?" And looking straight at him, he says, "I'm sorry I have a life of my own, Ni."

Niall drops his head onto the back of the couch. "I didn't mean it like-"

He's interrupted by Louis' cellphone ringing. Louis fishes it out of his pocket to see Harry's name on the screen. He closes his eyes momentarily before sighing and answering. Niall gets up and walks into the bathroom.

"What-"

_"I'm in labor."_

All the air leaves his lungs in a sharp whoosh. "What? You are?"

Harry starts to cry softly. _"I'm sorry for what I said before, I do need your help, I_ do _. And I really need it right now, Lou."_

Louis runs a hand through his hair. He feels all of his anger and frustration leave him just like that. Whipped. "It's alright, baby, you don't have to apologize. Where are you, still at home?"

_"Mhm."_

"Okay, I'm on my way now. Just sit tight."

_"Okay. Love you."_

Louis finds himself smiling. "I love you, too, darling. See you in a bit."

He ends the call and heads towards the front door. He's got his hand on the doorknob just as Niall is walking back into the living room.

"Where are you off to now?"

"Harry's."

Niall actually laughs. "Of course! Because where else?"

Louis looks at him. "He's gone into _labor_ , Niall. I don't need your shit right now, okay?" He slams the door behind him.

_******* _

Louis doesn't think he took a single breath the whole drive over. When he lets himself into the apartment, Harry is sitting on the couch as stiff as a board, back straight, hands on his belly, and knee bouncing on the floor.

He shuts the door softly and walks over to him. "Hi, love, hi."

Harry looks up at him and promptly bursts into tears, reaching for him with slightly trembling hands. "Lou."

Louis sits down next to him gently and holds his hands against his chest. He leans in and kisses his cheek. "How are you feeling, baby?"

Harry swallows thickly and leans into his side. "Okay. I started having contractions right after you left and I just- I'm sorry, Lou, but I had to call you-"

"No, no, Harry," Louis interrupts, kissing Harry's hands. "Don't apologize, I shouldn't have left in the first place."

"You had every right to lea- _ooh_ ," Harry pulled his hands from Louis' grasp and held onto his belly, wincing. He was breathing in and out of his nose steadily, whimpering on every exhale.

“Contraction?”

“No, the baby’s moving around a lot and it _hurts_.”

Louis kneeled before him on the floor, hands on his knees. "Spread your legs a bit, baby. That will give you some relief."

Harry did as he was told and nearly moaned in relief. Louis stands up and presses his palm into Harry's lower back to help with the pain. He remembers learning the technique in one of their birthing classes. When Harry starts to loosen up a bit, he squeezes his shoulder once before pulling back to look at his face.

"How many contractions have you had?"

"Two," Harry answers, voice wavering. And quieter, he says, "I'm kind of scared, Lou."

Louis sighs sympathetically. He couldn't imagine how Harry must be feeling right now. And him storming out like that probably didn’t help him. If anything, he’s probably the one who caused him to go into labor two weeks early. "Everything is going to be fine, handsome. You can trust me on that, okay? Now, where's the hospital bag we packed, love?"

"Closet," Harry tells him, hands on his knees.

Louis jogs into the bedroom and grabs the black duffel, slinging it over his shoulder. "When we get in the car I'll ring the hospital to let them know we're coming, then I'll ring Liam and tell him to come over and feed Priscilla later, okay?" He tells him when he walks back out to the living room.

Harry's lip starts to wobble a bit. "Why are you so good at this?"

Louis shoots him a small smile and helps him stand. "I've got seven siblings, love. I could probably be a professional doula if I wanted."

That got a laugh out of him.

_******* _

Harry had another mildly awful contraction on the car ride over and he was a sweaty mess by the time they arrived. They both were. A nurse immediately greeted them with a smile and a wheelchair and she handed Louis a clipboard.

"Are you the father?" She asks him, American accent thick.

"Well-"

"Yeah," Harry answers for him. "He is."

Louis looks down at him, but Harry doesn't look his way. After filling out the information on the sheets to the best of his ability, they're brought into an empty room down the hall and Harry is helped into a blue and white hospital gown. He climbs onto the bed and Louis adjusts it for him so it was at a comfortable angle.

"Have your waters broken yet?" The nurse asks him, pulling on a pair of latex gloves and bending Harry's legs from beneath the blanket.

Harry shakes his head. "Not yet.”

"Alright, hon, I'm just going to check your dilation then, okay?" Her hand disappears between his legs and she pulls it out a moment later. Harry grimaces through it. "Only three centimeters, so you've still got a while to go," she says, pulling off the gloves. “When did you first start having contractions?”

“This morning. Maybe an hour before we got here.”

“You must have been in labor for a few hours already for you to be three centimeters dilated.”

“He wasn’t feeling well this morning,” Louis says. “He was very uncomfortable.”

“Was that labor?” Harry asks.

She nods her head. “The beginning of it, yeah. Are you planning on getting the epidural later?”

He glances at Louis before saying, "no, I'm not."

The nurse smiles. "That's brave of you. Your doctor will be in here in a little bit to check you again; she’s just helping out another patient at the time. Just try to relax and press the call button if you need me. And no eating or drinking just in case we need to perform an emergency cesarean, okay?" She smiles and leaves the room.

Louis takes Harry's hand. "How are you feeling? Anything I can get you?"

Harry glances at their hands and shifts his legs. The tip of his nose is still pink. "No."

He’s suddenly acutely aware of the impending conversation. They need to have it, and even though right now may not be the best of times, the words have been crawling up Louis’ throat since they were in the car.

“Harry,” he starts. “What you said before…do you really feel that way? Because I know I’m not their biological father, but you tell me time and time again how you want me to be the other parent, and then you go and say something like this and I’m so confused. Do you want me here for you two or not?”

Harry looks at him, lips parted. “I don’t…really know what to say.”

“Seriously?” Louis says almost immediately. They spent hours on end discussing this, how they were going to co-parent and both be the fathers. He was going to be the father, not Adam. “And then you tell the nurse out there how I am the father? Make up your mind, Harry, please”

Tears form in his eyes as he says, “I’m just scared, I’m-” his sentence is cut off with a sharp gasp and he leans forward in the bed, hands gripping his knees through the blanket. Louis stands from the chair and rubs his back. Irritation is still coursing through his veins. He feels like shit for feeling this way, but he just can’t help it.

When Harry lets out one last breath and leans back against the pillow a few moments later, Louis pulls away and says, “I need a coffee,” and leaves the room.

**_***_ **

When Louis shuts the door behind him, Harry swallows down the urge to cry. Again.

It’s not that he doesn’t want Louis to be there for him and the baby, he does. He wants nothing more, but he’s also terrified of getting his heart broken again. No matter how shitty Adam may have treated him, it still hurt something awful when they finally split up once and for all. He doesn’t want his child growing up seeing Louis as their other parent just for Louis to leave one day. He can’t have that. He’d rather raise this baby on his own.

But does he really want that? Maybe four months ago he did, but now that Louis’ in his life, well, he wants to keep Louis in it. He just hopes Louis wants to stay. Sure he’s said that he does plenty of times before, and he may have believed him had they met five years ago, but there’s a baby in the picture, and Harry has to be cautious with things like this now. It’s not only his feelings and well-being he has to worry about anymore. This child deserves nothing but the best.

But maybe the best is Louis? He truly wants to believe that.

He sighs. He really needs to talk to Louis when he comes back upstairs.

Harry reaches for his cellphone that sat on the side table and dials his father’s number.

_“Hi, son. How’re you doing?”_

He smiles. “Hi, dad. I’m, uh, well. I’m in labor, actually.”

_“Oh! That’s fantastic news, Harry! Is everything going well? When’d you go into labor?”_

“I started having contractions this morning around nine. Things are going fine, my water hasn’t broken yet but I’m about three centimeters dilated,” he’s unable to talk to his mother about anything pregnancy related, so his father told him from the beginning how he’s happy to be there to listen. He was always there more than his mother was.

 _“That’s great to hear,”_ he says. _“Have you called your mother then?”_

He picks at the cotton blanket covering his legs. “No, you know we haven’t spoken in months, dad.”

His father sighs on the other end. _“I’m sorry, son. Do you want me to call her? Let her know?”_

“Could you? Just- tell her I’m not up for company right now.”

_“Will do. Are you really not up for company though?”_

Harry smiles. “Nah, I am. Come on by whenever you want to; we’re at Doncaster Royal.”

_“We? Is Gemma there with you?”_

His eyes widen. “No, I need to call her still. Shit, she’s gonna be upset that I didn’t ring her first.”

His dad laughs. _“Definitely. Who’s there with you then? Not Adam, I hope.”_

“ _No_ ,” Harry nearly yells. “No, my, uhm, boyfriend Louis is here.”

_“Huh. You better introduce me to this fellow when I get there, Harry. Do you hear me?”_

“Yes, I hear you, father,” the door to the hospital room opens and speak of the devil, Louis walks in with a cup of coffee in one hand and a Styrofoam cup in the other. “Listen, I’m gonna get going now, okay? Okay, love you. See you soon.”

“Who was that?” Louis asks when he hangs up, sitting back down in the plastic chair next to the bed.

“My dad,” he says. His heart starts to hammer against his chest. Is he still mad at him? Was he even really mad in the first place? “I just wanted to call him and let him know that the baby was coming.”

He nods and holds the Styrofoam cup out for Harry to take. “I got you some ice chips to wet your whistle a bit since you can’t drink anything right now.”

Harry nearly cries. “Thanks, Lou. My throat is so _dry_ ,” he knocks back a couple pieces of the ice and sets the cup on the table next to Louis’ arm. “Are you still…mad at me?”

Louis whips his head up to look at him. Then he sighs and reaches for Harry’s hand. “Harry, I’m not mad. I was just…frustrated. I’m so confused by what you want. You know what I want, so what about you?” he pauses, and says, “if you…decide that you want to raise the baby on your own, then I fully support that-”

He grabs Louis by the sides of his face and kisses him with all the energy he can muster. Louis takes a moment before his free hand comes to rest on his belly. Harry pulls away, looking him right in the eyes while keeping his hands right where they are. “I want you there. Here with me. With us,” he moves his hands to rest atop of Louis’.

Louis smiles brightly, leaning forward and pecking him again once on the lips. “And I want to be with you. Just as I’ve told you before.”

He points a stern finger at him. “If you leave us after this, I will never forgive you.”

He nips Harry’s finger playfully. “As long as you don’t kick me out, then I don’t plan on it.”

**_***_ **

_“I was the first one you called, right?”_ Harry’s sister asks from the speaker on his phone.

There was a soft knock on the door and an older man peeks his head into the room. Louis immediately guesses him to be Harry’s father.

“Hi, dad,” Harry whispers, and he says into the phone, “uh, of course, Gem. Listen, I’m gonna go. I feel, uh, another contraction coming on, okay? Bye,” he hangs up the phone quickly and holds out his arms as his father walks over to the bed and embraces him.

“Hi, son,” he says softly, rubbing his back. “Was that your sister?”

Harry laughs. “Yeah. How’ve you been, dad?”

He pulls back and squeezes Harry’s shoulder. “I’ve been well, but how about you? How are you feeling?”

He nods. “The contractions aren’t too brutal right now, so I’m feeling pretty good, yeah,” Louis shifts in his chair and Harry looks over at him. “Oh! Dad, this is Louis. Lou, this is my dad.”

He stands and shakes the man’s hand over Harry’s bed. “Good to meet you, sir.”

His dad nods and says, “you as well, Louis. Please, call me Des.”

Louis smiles and sits back down. “Sure thing.”

“When is Gemma getting here?” Des asks.

Harry says, “she didn’t tell me where she was coming from so I guess we can expect her at any time.”

“Let’s just hope she doesn’t break any laws on her way here.”

Just as they all laugh, the door opens and a woman baring a striking resemblance to Harry pops her head into the room and says, “knock knock!”

“Mum?” Harry says, sitting up straighter in the bed.

Des frowns at her. “Anne, what are you doing here?”

She shrugs and comes further into the room. She looks like something straight out of _Ab Fab_ and it stirs Louis’ stomach in an unpleasant way. Was she even invited? “Oh, you know I had to come and meet my grandchild.”

“What?” Harry says quite loudly. “that’s such rubbish-”

“Okay,” his father interrupts, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Anne, I told you that Harry wasn’t up for company.”

She laughs in a haughty way and Louis decides he doesn’t like her. “I knew you would be here, Desmond. And I know that Gemma is probably on her way right now also.”

“I’m not particularly up for your company, mother,” Harry says. There’s something in his voice that he doesn’t think he’s heard before.

She looks unbothered. “Darling, there’s someone here that wants to see you,” she opens up the door wider and a young man with dark hair and a wide build steps in beside Anne.

Harry immediately goes rigid in the bed and Louis furrows his brows at the man. “Adam?”

 _Adam?_ Oh fuck no.

He waves, a sly smile on his handsome face. “Hi there, buttercup.”

He wants to throw up. Fuming, Louis gets up in his face, pushing his finger against his broad chest. “You are not welcome here,” he spits. How _dare_ this woman bring him here.

Adam only smiles wider and Louis wants to knock his cigarette-stained teeth down his throat. “That’s my child.”

“Mother, why did you bring him here?” Harry asks Anne. Louis looks back at him to see his jaw clenched and tears welling in his eyes.

Calmly, she tells her son, “Adam should be able to meet his child, Harry. I promised him months ago that I would bring him along.”

“You stay in _contact_ with him?!” Harry nearly screams. What the fuck is wrong with her?

Louis pushes him out the door with one hard shove. “Get the fuck out of here,” Adam goes willingly and he shuts the door in his face.

“Now, honey-” Anne starts.

“Don’t _honey_ me,” he interrupts, pointing a finger at his mother. “Have you been talking with him this whole time?”

She nods. Louis walks back to his bedside and puts his hand on the pillow behind his head. “Adam is a lovely young man and I-”

“ _Don’t understand why you would leave him_ ,” Harry says bitterly. “I know, I’ve heard your spiel before. But you just can’t bear to believe that sometimes, behind closed doors, people aren’t really as you see them,” he laughs. “You would know, right, mom? Isn’t that why Robin left you?”

“Now, Harry-” Des tries to stop him, but Harry just keeps on going. Louis wants to know what he has to say next.

“You treated him like shit. Like he was your slave, your _plaything_. But no one would know, would they? All of your book club friends think he cheated on you, right?”

Anne stomps past Des and raises her hand. Harry doesn’t even flinch, but Louis does. He grabs ahold of her wrist before she can do anything. Des grabs her shoulder and pulls her back a step.

“Hit me,” Harry spits. “Adam’s done it before, so why not you too?”

 _Jesus Christ_ , Louis has half a brain not to barge out into the hallway and bash that guys fucking skull in.

Anne drops her arm to her side, face slack.

Harry only smiles. “Didn’t know that? Oh, I guess you wouldn’t since he’s just like you.”

“Anne, I think you should go,” Des says, pulling her towards the door.

“I meant what I said when I told you that you won’t be able to do this on your own,” she bites out. “You don’t have it in you to raise a child.”

“I have Louis,” he reaches for his hand again. Louis squeezes it.

Anne scoffs. “Him? He’s not what you need, Harry. Listen,” she leans in closer and says, “if you make up with Adam, I will forget all of the hurtful things you said to me today.”

Louis sees the tips of Harry’s ears turn as red as a tomato with anger. He speaks before his boyfriend blows a gasket. “You really need to leave. Now.”

“Give me an answer, Harry,” she says. Des opens the door. “And I’ll leave.”

“I don’t fucking want Adam!” he yells and puts a hand on his stomach. Fuck, none of this can be good for the baby. For either of them. “I want you to leave my fucking life,” he breathes in a sharp breath and Louis looks down at him to find his eyes squeezed shut.

Louis lets go of his hand and leans down next to him. “Harry, are you alright?”

“I feel ill,” he says and looks up at his mother. “ _Leave_. Go be with Adam since you love him so goddamn much.”

Louis stands. “ _Out_. Both of you.”

Des drags Anne out into the hallway, but before Louis can shut the door Harry’s sister comes bursting into the room with wide eyes.

“The fuck is _Adam_ doing here?”

Harry starts to cry softly. “ _Gems_.”

She hurries over to his bedside and wraps her arms around her brother. “Oh, Harry, are you alright? You’re shaking.”

“I just got into a fight with mum and now I feel so _sick_ ,” he says.

Louis pushes the emergency button on the beds remote and swallows down his panic. “Does anything hurt, baby?” he asks.

Harry wipes his eyes as Gemma pulls away. “My stomach aches a bit, but I just think that’s another contraction coming on. I don’t know.”

His nurse comes into the room then. “Everything okay in here?”

“Harry feels sick,” Gemma says, tucking her blonde hair behind her ears.

The nurse notices one of the machines near the bed and shakes her head. “What happened, Mr. Styles?”

“He got into an argument with his mother,” Louis answers for him, rubbing his shoulder.

“Alright, well, you need to calm down, okay?” She tells him sternly. “Because you’re distressing the baby and putting the both of you in danger. You’re doing this naturally, so you are going to have to keep yourself as relaxed as possible.”

“Okay,” Harry says. “I’m sorry.”

The nurse smiles a bit. “Oh, it’s nothing to apologize for, dear. I’m going to send your doctor in now to check your dilation. Just breathe and get your blood pressure down.”

He nods and she leaves the room.

Louis can still feel his heart beating fiercely in his chest. “Well, I think that’s enough excitement for today.”

Harry huffs out a little laugh and leans his head back against his pillows. “That’s for sure.”

“Hello, Harry!” Doctor Ross says gleefully, coming into the room with a clipboard. She walks over to him and kisses the top of his head just as a mother might do. “The day has finally arrived. How are you feeling? Your nurse told me you stressed yourself out a bit.”

He nods. “Yeah, my mother came and she brought Adam with her, so you could assume how that went.”

Carrie clicks her tongue on the roof of her mouth and shakes her head. “I can imagine. How are you feeling now?”

Harry shrugs. “Alright; it doesn’t feel like my heart is going to burst out of my chest anymore, so that’s good.”

She smiles. “As long as you’re feeling better. I’m going to check you now, okay?”

Harry pushes himself up a bit in the bed and bends his legs. “Gems, if you wanna step out, that’s fine.”

Gemma rounds the bed and stands at Louis’ side. “I’m good here,” he hugs her from the side and gives her a friendly kiss on the cheek.

Doctor Ross lifts the blankets onto Harry’s knees and Louis holds his hand. “Well,” she says a moment later, pulling off her latex gloves and discarding them in the trash bin near the door. “Only four centimeters dilated, I’m afraid. It seems as if you’re dilating once every hour, so this might be a very long day for you, Harry. I suggest heading home for a while. Take a nap, do a little yoga, then come back when your water breaks.”

“It would be alright for him to go home?” Louis asks.

“Oh sure,” she says. “A lot of expecting parents like to be in their own beds for the majority of labor and then come in for the delivery. Is that something you would like to do?”

Harry glances up at him and Gemma before looking back at his doctor and saying, “yeah, I think I want to go home for a while. I should come back when my water breaks?”

Doctor Ross picks up her clipboard from where she set it down on the edge of the bed and tucks it under her arm. She nods. “That would be correct. But it all depends on how you’re feeling, Harry. Listen to your body.”

He nods. “Thank you, Carrie.”

She rubs his knee through the blanket. “No need to thank me, dear. I’ll see you later.”

When the doctor leaves the room, Harry sits up in the bed and swings his legs over the edge of the bed slowly. “There’s a change of clothes in the bag, right, Lou?”

“Yeah,” Louis picks up the black duffel bag that sat on the floor against the wall and sets it on the bed.

“I’ll step out and let dad know what’s happening,” Gemma says, heading for the door. “Is it alright if I tag along with you two?”

“Of course,” Harry tells her almost instantly. She shuts the door behind her.

Louis assists him into the soft T-shirt and cotton sweatpants they packed and leaves the folded up hospital gown on the hospital bed. He slips his flip flops back on his feet for him.

“I didn’t think we’d be leaving until we had a baby,” he says, smiling.

Harry smiles back, fixing his hair into a better-fashioned bun. “Me neither. I hope it’s alright that Gemma is coming home with us. She told me a while ago that she just really wants to be a part of her niece or nephews birth as much as she can. Since, you know, she can’t have her own kids.”

“She can’t?” Louis asks. That’s _awful_.

He shakes his head. “So I promised to make her the godmother and I also promised her that she can be in the delivery room with me, but since you’re here, I’ll just tell her she can’t.”

“No, no, that’s alright. She’s your sister, Harry, and if you promised her, then I don’t want you to let her down.”

Harry wraps his arms around his neck and hugs him the best he can. “Thanks, love. Gemma just means a lot to me, you know? Despite only being a couple years older than me, she was always the motherly figure in my life.”

Louis nods his head and rubs his back. “I understand, baby. You don’t have to explain it to me.”

“Okay.” Harry says, pulling away. He rests his hands on his swollen belly and smiles. “Let’s head on home.”

**_***_ **

They decide to head to his apartment instead of Harry’s since there’s more room to move around and such. And his bed is softer.

“Thought you guys were havin’ a baby,” Niall asks from the couch when they get inside. He’s in the same place he left him earlier this morning.

“And I thought you had work today,” Louis shoots back, setting the duffel bag on the kitchen counter.

“It’s Friday, if you haven’t noticed, you dolt.”

“Okay, okay,” Harry interrupts, brows furrowed. “You two are acting like children.”

Niall turns back to the television. Harry looks up at him, hands on his hips.

“Why don’t we go lie down for a bit?” Louis wraps an arm around his waist and steers him towards his bedroom.

“Gemma, you’ll be okay out here, right?” Harry asks his sister.

She waves them off and drops herself onto the couch next to Niall. “I’ll be fine, go rest.”

When they shut the bedroom door behind them, Harry immediately kicks off his flip-flops and crawls onto the bed. Louis lies down next to him on his back and Harry rests his head on his chest.

“Are we okay?” He asks quietly and Louis sighs into his hair.

“We are perfect, love. I think we really needed to get that out of our systems and have that talk, you know?” It was lingering over their heads long before today.

He nods. “So you do want this, right? I’m sorry; I hate that I keep needing reassurance. I think a part of me knew this morning that I was going into labor and that’s why I was so grumpy; I got scared, is all.”

Louis kisses the top of his head. “That’s understandable, love. And yes, I want this more than anything.”

Harry smiles. “Good. Me too.”

They’re quiet for a second, then Louis says, “I don’t think I’ve felt this way about anyone before. Like- we only met a few months ago, and I don’t know if it’s the baby or fate that brought us so close together, but I’m pretty sure you’re it for me, Harry. That’s why I want so badly for you to believe me when I say I’m in this for the long haul.”

Harry presses his face further into his chest, tightening his arm around his waist. “I love you an insane amount, Louis.”

“I love you too, baby. So much.”

It scares him a little bit, thinking about how much Harry has come to mean to him. How much he wants to love and protect him and give him all the affection and adoration he missed out on with his last relationship. It’s like there’s something programmed into the back of his mind saying _Care about him. Care about him like none else has_. And that’s exactly what he’s going to do.

He read a quote somewhere, in some Greek mythology book or whatever, that said, _“he is half of my soul, as the poets say”,_ and he doesn’t know who these poets are, but looking down at Harry resting on his chest, he agrees with them.

“I still can’t believe my mother showed up with him,” Harry huffs.

Louis holds him just a little tighter. He’s actually quite proud of himself for not committing homicide today. Just the sight of Adam made his skin boil. “I know, that was kind of arsey of her, huh? Are you okay from that, love?”

“Yeah, I’m okay,” he says. “I always thought that if I saw him again I’d have a panic attack or something, but other than getting a little worked up, I was fine, you know? I think…I think maybe it was because you were there. You make me feel safe, Lou.”

His heart swells. He never thought he was actually capable of making someone else feel that way. He’s- he’s so _happy_. “That’s exactly how I want you to feel, baby. My number one goal when we first got together was to make you feel as comfortable and as loved as you deserve.”

Harry sighs against his chest and Louis definitely notices the little smile on his lips. “Love you.”

“Love you more.”

They’re quiet for a few moments, just enjoying each other’s company, but then Harry mumbles against his shirt, “are you and Niall fighting?”

Louis can’t help but laugh. He squeezes his arm. “We’re like an old married couple, love. Don’t worry about it.”

Harry pushes himself up into a sitting position, wincing only slightly. “What happened?”

He sighs and sits up next to him, grabbing ahold of his hand. “Ni’s a little bit upset with me because I haven’t been spending a lot of time here with him.”

“So it’s my fault?”

“No, no, it’s not your fault. He just needs to understand that you and the baby are my number one priority right now.”

“I still don’t like to see you arguing,” Harry says, kissing the back of his hand. “Go out there and make up.”

He smiles. “Yes, dear,” he rubs his stomach once and leaves the bedroom.

Niall is still sitting on the couch, texting, and Gemma has her head in their fridge. He sits down next to him, leaving a respectful amount of space between them. Niall glances up from his phone at him briefly.

“Who are you texting?” He decides to ask. Even though he doesn’t particularly care.

Niall looks at him and locks his phone. “Princess Leia.”

Louis rolls his eyes. “Listen, I’m sorry, okay? I know you’re pissed at me.”

He sighs. “I just _miss you_ , man. We never put each other second when we date, so I’m hurt, you know?”

He nods. “I know, I get that, Ni, but this is just a precarious situation. I know we’ve always been each other’s number one’s, but I didn’t expect get a baby so soon out of the relationship, you know? Like- not only is this new and fragile between Harry and me, but we also have to juggle a baby that’s on their way now.”

Niall rubs a hand down his face and throws himself down in Louis’ lap. “I feel like such a cunt.”

He laughs and puts his fingers in his hair. “It’s okay, mate. I’m sure I would feel the same way were you in my position.”

Niall flops onto his back, looking up at Louis. “Maybe I just need to get laid. Yo, Gemma, wanna-”

“Not in your dreams, lover boy,” she says from the kitchen.

He laughs. “So no hard feelings, then?”

He smacks him in the stomach good-naturedly. “Of course not. We’re practically brothers! We can never stay mad at each other for long.”

“True,” Niall cackles. “So what are you guys doing here? False alarm?”

Louis rests his arms on the back of the couch and clears his throat. “Nah, Harry’s really in labor, but it’s going to be a while before anything starts to happen, so we’re gonna head back to the hospital when his water breaks.”

“Ah, alright. Have you told the other two yet?”

“I asked Liam to feed Harry’s cat while we were gone, but I’ll call him and Zayn when we leave for the hospital again and let them know what’s going on.”

“How’s Harry doing?” Gemma asks as she walks back over to the couch with a mug of tea in her hands. She sits down on the loveseat diagonal from the couch.

“He’s-”

“Lou,” the door to the bedroom opens and Harry peeks his head out, face scrunched in obvious pain.

Louis is off the couch almost immediately and jogging towards the bedroom without a second glance behind him. When he gets into his room, Harry is bent over the bed with his hands on the edge of the mattress.

“Alright, baby?” He asks, putting his hand on his back. His muscles feel coiled as tight as a snake.

Harry takes a moment to answer, breathing methodically out of his nose. “Mhm,” he says, and picks his head to look up at him. “The contractions are starting to get worse, I can tell.”

Louis nods. He suddenly feels very motherly, like he wants to tuck Harry into bed and make him a cup of something hot; he wants to take the pain away. “What would you like me to do, love?”

“Just-” he swallows and straightens his back. “Lie down with me for a bit?”

“I can do that,” he says. They climb back in bed and settle in the same positions they were in before, Harry’s head on Louis’ chest and Louis’ arm around his back. “Did you time that one?”

“Yeah,” Harry pulls his cellphone from the pocket of his sweatpants and unlocks it. “I downloaded this cute app that helps you keep track of your contractions. That one was…a little less than half an hour since the last.”

“Okay,” he kisses the top of his head. “Do you want to try to sleep for a while?”

Harry nods against his chest and closes his eyes, breathing out a content sigh. “I think that would be best. Do you mind, love?”

“Of course not. A little sleep could do us both some good.”

_******* _

They’re in the bedroom for what feels like hours. And maybe they were, because Harry had contractions every twenty or so minutes and time felt like it was just dragging on. They barely slept, too. The both of them would start to nod off, but then Harry would be overcome with another awful contraction and they’d be wide awake again. It was grueling.

And when he checks the time on his phone, it’s not even noon.

“Okay,” he says, sitting up. “I can’t stay in this bedroom all day. I’m gonna go see what the kids are up to.”

Louis follows him out into the living room and they find Niall and Gemma huddled up together on the couch, a bowl of popcorn wedged between them.

“What are you two doing?” Louis asks.

Harry glances at the television and sees some guy being brutally murdered by someone in a mask. He hurries past the T.V. before the blood can make him queasy.

“Watching that new MTV show, _Scream_ ,” his sister says.

“What were you two doing in there?” Niall asks, popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

“Trying to sleep,” Harry says, rubbing his belly. He can feel another contraction slowly starting up in his lower back and he hurries to sit down in one of the kitchen chairs.

Louis walks up beside him, putting a warm hand on his shoulder. “Yeah, but that didn’t work out too well.”

“Lou, do you think I could have something to eat?” He asks him.

“Of course, love. What would you like?”

“No, I mean, would it be okay for me to eat? Because the nurse at the hospital said not to,” he’s starving, if he’s being honest. And he doesn’t know when the next down moment he gets will be.

Louis smiles and walks over to the refrigerator. “That was just a precaution; you’ll be fine. Let’s see what we’ve got here,” he glances inside, then puts his hands on his hips and looks towards the living room. “Niall, didn’t we go grocery shopping last week?”

Niall keeps his eyes glued on the television screen as he says, “we went to the store to pick up necessities, but not food. I’ve been eating with the lads all week.”

Louis sighs and looks back to Harry. “There’s some Chinese takeaway here from- Ni, how old is this?” He holds up one of the white cartons.

“Got that with Z last night.”

“Okay, well we have some day old Chinese food,” he tells Harry.

His stomach twists unpleasantly in response. “Any white rice? I just want something light, babe.”

Louis heats up a bowl of sticky white rice for him and he’s just lifting the first spoonful into his mouth when he’s hit full force with that impending contraction. A gasp tears through his throat as white-hot pain radiates from his hips all the way through to his stomach and he drops the metal spoon into the ceramic bowl with a loud _clink_. Louis is immediately at his side smoothing his hand up and down his back and whispering encouragements into his ear like he’s been doing for the past couple of hours.

“Breathe, love,” he tells him, and _fuck_ , he is breathing. That isn’t going to stop the pain though, he wants to tell him, but he just keeps his eyes clenched shut and hands gripping his knees until the pain starts to subside.

When it dissipates completely, Harry lets out a breath and relaxes against the chair. The contraction leaves an unkind ache deep in his muscles and he just really hopes his water breaks soon so they can get this show on the road because he doesn’t know how much more he can take of this.

“Good?” Louis asks.

Harry looks up at him and sees the worry creasing his brows. He’ll never get over how much Louis cares for him. It’s amazing, really. “Yeah,” he smiles slightly. “It’s over.”

He pulls his phone from his pocket and checks the time. That was only fourteen minutes since the last one. Good, he thinks. Things are slowly but surely starting to speed up.

“Still feel up to eating?” Louis sits down in the chair next to him, gesturing to the cooling bowl of rice.

“Of course,” Harry says.

_******* _

The next few hours are some of those he will probably never forget. The contractions became almost debilitating, and most times he nearly started crying with how bad they were. He alternated between sitting on the couch with the others and walking aimlessly around the apartment. He even tried to do a bit of yoga like his doctor suggested, just some stretching to help with the pain, but he could barely even move. Louis tried to comfort him, tried hugging him and holding him, but he just didn’t want to be touched. Everything was irritating him and the apartment was too hot all of a sudden. He tried to lie down in Louis’ bed again for a little bit, but he realized he didn’t want to be alone.

With the contractions practically on top of each other at this point, Harry settled for just sitting on the love seat while Louis and Niall and his sister watched some movie on the couch diagonal from him. He wasn’t really paying attention though, he couldn’t. He kicked up the footrest and tried to focus on steadying his breathing and bracing himself for the next inevitable contraction. It’s nearing go-time, he can tell. And so can everyone else by the way they’re sat so stiffly while they watch the television and keep glancing over at him every time he so much as shifts.

Before long an uncomfortable pressure in his pelvis flares up and he sits up a bit in his seat. _Fuck_ , he thinks. Harry hoists himself onto his feet with some difficulty since the footrest was still in place, supporting the bottom of his belly with his hands. He feels like his hips are about to damn near split apart.

“Everything okay, Harry?” Louis looks like he’s about to jump out of his own skin at any moment.

Harry nods, making his way towards the bathroom. “M’fine,” he mumbles. They all cast him weary glances as he shuts the door.

The pressure doesn’t let up, in fact it builds and builds until there’s an unmistakable _pop_ within him and a gush of fluid floods out from him, soaking his cotton sweatpants and pooling around his bare feet. His heart immediately jumps to his throat, choking him, and his whole body begins to tremble. _Fuck, fuck, fuck-_

“ _Louis_!” He probably sounds like a madman screaming like this, but he has no control over his voice and he can’t move.

Louis bursts through the bathroom mere seconds later, taking one glance at Harry’s pants before springing into action and carefully guiding him out into the living room and into the bedroom. When Louis shuts the door behind them, Harry can’t help but to start crying. The awful pressure on his hips has lessened a bit, thankfully, but holy _shit_. He’s having a _baby_. Right now, nonetheless.

“I know, sweetheart, I know,” Louis’ saying calmly. “You’re alright, you’re okay. Let’s get you into these pants, yeah?” He helps Harry into a dry pair of pajama pants and discards the soiled ones to the side.

“Lou- _fuck_ ,” he chokes out as another goddamn contraction hits him, threatening to bring him to his knees were Louis not there to hold onto him and hug him against his chest. When it’s over a couple of minutes later, he wipes his eyes on the back of his hand and swallows down more tears.

“Come on, baby. You’re alright,” they step out into the living room and Niall and Gemma are on their feet instantly, the television switched off.

“Is it time, then?” Niall asks, running his hands through his hair.

All Harry can manage is a nod as they head towards the kitchen. Louis has yet another spare change of clothes in his hands which he stuffs into the duffel bag. He slings it over his shoulder and fingers his car keys.

“Gemma, let’s go,” he says. “Niall, are you coming?”

“No, I’ll stay here and mop up the bathroom,” he tells them. “Just ring me when you want me to head down.”

“Alright, and let the others know, while you’re at it.”

“Will do, boss,” he shoots them a salute.

Harry groans as he feels the beginnings of yet another contraction. They’re not giving him any time to even breathe in between. “Lou- Louis, we have to go.”

“Yeah, okay, come on, honey,” he opens the front door and Gemma guides him out into the hallway.

“Good luck, you guys!” Niall calls from behind them.

_******* _

Gemma tells Louis she’ll help Harry into the car, and when he climbs into the driver’s seat he turns around and watches as Harry lays his head on her lap. A grimace tugs at his lips and he shuts his eyes, curling in on himself.

Louis sighs and reaches back to stroke his arm. “How are you feeling, baby?” he asks gently.

Harry looks at him, eyes glassy and red. “Okay.”

Gemma laughs above him, putting her hand on Harry’s head. “You’re so full of shit. I know you.”

Harry manages a smile and shuts his eyes again. Louis thinks, he’s a trooper, and starts the car.

They arrive at the hospital in a matter of minutes, surprisingly, considering Doncaster Royal is nearly half an hour away from his flat. He’s just thankful there weren’t any police around. But Harry was moaning and groaning in the backseat and it was giving him the worst case of anxiety not being able to comfort him.

When they step through the revolving doors into the ER, a nurse is right there with a wheelchair and Harry drops himself heavily into the seat, immediately seeking out Louis’ hand.

“Styles and Tomlinson, correct?” She asks, looking down at the clipboard in her hands.

“Yeah, that’s us,” Louis says, squeezing Harry’s hand. “Is Doctor Ross in?”

“Yes, she is,” the nurse says, beginning to push the wheelchair down the tiled hallway. “Your room is ready for you.”

Louis and Gemma follow her into the room they were in only a few hours before. He helps Harry to his feet and the woman gestures to the folded hospital gown on the edge of the made bed.

“If you could just change in to that for me, Mr. Styles,” she says. “Your doctor will be in in a few minutes,” she pulls the curtain shut behind her and leaves the door.

“I’ll step out,” Gemma says. “And I’ll call dad, okay?”

Harry nods at his sister, starting to pull his shirt over his head. Louis helps him into the blue and white gown, tying it loosely at his back. He gets a bit of déjà vu as Harry climbs into the bed and pulls the covers over his lap. When he folds Harry’s clothes and tucks them into the duffel bag at his feet there’s a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

“Hello, hello,” Doctor Ross walks in with his nurse from when they were here last, Liz, Louis’ come to learn her name to be, and Gemma at their side. “How are we doing, love?”

He smiles lightly at her. “I’m doing alright,” Liz sticks an IV into the back of his left hand and fiddles with the machines at his bedside.

“Did your water break, then?”

Louis smiles, rubbing his shoulders. “Oh yeah, all over the bathroom floor,” Niall’s probably having a field day cleaning that up.

Everyone in the room shares a laugh. The doctor says, “I’m going to see how far you’ve dilated, okay?”

He nods, propping his legs up. Gemma comes to stand at Louis’ side like she did before.

“Eight centimeters,” Carrie says a few moments later with an approving nod. “Things are moving along nicely. It’ll probably be another hour or so before it’s time to start pushing, so just relax and call me if you need me. Okay?”

“Thank you,” Harry says.

She waves her hand. “No need to thank me. See you three later,” she and Liz walk out.

“Out of all of mum’s friends, she’s the nicest,” Gemma says, sitting down in one of the chairs across the room.

“She’s friends with your mum?” Louis asks. He never would have guessed.

“Well, used to be,” Harry says, shifting on the bed a bit. His hair has become a bit sweaty and is falling out of its bun. “They pretty much stopped talking when Carrie decided to take me on as her patient when I got pregnant.”

He scoffs. “No offense, but your mother is a piece of work.”

“None taken,” they both say at the same time.

“I still can’t believe she showed up here,” Harry says. “Why? I know she doesn’t care.”

Gemma shrugs.

“Was it just so she can bring Adam along and show me that they still talk? Because I know he wants nothing to do with me either,” he puts his hands on his stomach and leans forward as a contraction spikes on the chart next to his bed. He groans. “God, she is such a… _child_ ,” he says, strained.

Louis can’t help but laugh and rub his back. “Okay, enough about your mother and just breathe, love.”

“Holy _fuck_. Louis, if we ever decide to have a kid together,” Harry says. “remind me to get the epidural.”

He smiles.

**_***_ **

Before long Harry is out of the bed and sitting on the inflatable birthing ball that was placed in the corner of the room. He said it helped relieve a bit of the pain, so whatever works for him. He’s sitting in one of the other chairs rubbing Harry’s back while he rocks side to side on the ball and balances his arms on the edge of the hospital bed.

“So when’s your dad coming back down?” Louis asks Gemma.

She looks up from her phone across the room. “He said just to call him after the baby’s here and everything’s settled down a bit.”

“That sounds good-”

Harry’s head shoots up and he stiffens on the inflatable ball. “It hasn’t been an hour yet.”

“What?” Louis asks, stilling his hands on his back.

He’s standing up frantically, one hand cupping his stomach while the other one is perched on the bed. “The doctor said it would be an hour- it hasn’t been an hour. Oh _fuck_.”

Louis stands up with him, rolling the ball out of the way. “Harry, what’s the matter?”

“I need to _push_ , Louis,” he moans, climbing onto the bed and sitting back against the pillow and bending his legs.

He can feel the blood completely drain from his face. He feels a little dizzy. “ _Shit_ , okay, hold on, love,” he pushes the red button on the bedside remote control and kisses the top of Harry’s head.

Gemma gets up from where she was sitting and stands on the opposite side of the bed. “Here, bub,” she says, and pulls the hair tie from Harry’s tangled hair and pulls his hair back into a simple, neater ponytail.

The door opens and Doctor Ross and Nurse Liz walk in, already pulling on gloves and pushing a tray of tools into the room.

“That was quicker than I thought,” Carrie says, sitting down in a short rolling stool. She fixes the blankets over Harry’s legs and pushes them above his knees. She takes one glance between his legs and smiles. “You’re crowning, hon. Push on your next contraction. Let’s get this ball rolling.”

Harry nods, eyebrows knitted together. He spreads his legs a bit further and gasps suddenly, then he bears down. “ _Fuck_.”

Louis holds his right hand while Gemma holds his left. They both share a silent glance at each other and smile.

“Okay, catch your breath,” Liz tells him and Harry breathes quick and shallow, pulling his hands away from Louis and his sisters hold and gripping the backs of his thighs instead.

He starts pushing again and presses his chin against his chest, screaming into his teeth. Louis watches at his face turns bright red and the veins begin to bulge on his forehead. A sheen of sweat glistens at his temples and he can’t help but to lean down and kiss the top of his damp hair. He can’t believe that this moment is finally here.

“You’re doing great, H,” Gemma says, squeezing Harry’s shoulder.

Carrie nods. “Your sister is right. It looks like this isn’t going to be a very long process.”

Harry swallows hard. “What? Really?” His voice already sounds shot.

“Mhm. The head is nearly borne.”

“That’s- _great_ ,” he chokes out as he starts pushing again.

He’s at it for another couple of minutes before the doctor announces that the head is officially out and reaches for something on the metal tray that looks dangerously similar to a turkey baster.

Seeing him and Gemma’s looks of confusion, the nurse tells them with a smile, “that’s what we use to get all the gunk out from their airways.”

They both look at her with their mouths in an _‘o’_.

“Would either of you like to see?” Carrie asks them brightly.

“Not you, Gemma,” Harry says immediately, reaching for her wrist. “I’d like to keep my dignity.”

“And I’m good,” Louis says, reaching for his hand. “I’d like to keep my lunch.”

“Push, Harry,” the doctor says. “Go slow so we can get these shoulders out without tearing anything.”

He shudders and kisses the back of Harry’s hand.

He pushes down again, groaning. “This- this is the worst thing I’ve ever felt. _God_.”

“Even worse than that time I shoved you off my bed and you broke your arm?” Gemma asks him, smirking.

He stops pushing and catches his breath, looking up at his sister. “Fuck you, Gems.”

Louis refrains from laughing.

Harry drops his head back onto the pillow and sucks in a deep breath. “Are they almost here? I can’t do this much longer; I’m in so much _pain_ ,” he practically whimpers the last words and Louis’ heart breaks.

“Just a few more pushes, hon,” Carrie says. “You got this.”

He leans down and presses his lips against Harry’s ear, kissing him lightly. “You’re doing so amazing, love. I’m so proud of you.”

Harry attempts a small smile and begins to push again. And again. And again.

He pushes one more time before he’s flopping back against the bed with a relieved breath and the doctor is standing and lifting a screaming newborn into the air and laying them on Harry’s chest.

“It’s a healthy baby boy!”

The whole world stops. All he can hear is the incessant wailing and Harry’s small cries and quiet cooing as he rubs the baby’s naked back. Gemma has her hands up to her mouth and tears are streaming down her face. The nurse is holding a blanket in her arms.

“Louis? Mr. Tomlinson.”

The world begins to spin again. He looks away from Harry and up at the doctor. She’s holding a pair of medical clippers and smiling. “Huh?” He says.

“Would you like to cut the cord?”

A million times _yes_. He takes the scissors from her and snips the umbilical cord where she indicates, then hands the tool back to her. He looks back to Harry to find him crying an absolute river and kissing the top of the newborns head.

“Oh, my love. My gorgeous little love, look at you,” he’s saying. “My _son_. Lou, Louis, I have a son- _we_ have a _son_.”

Louis wraps his arm around his shoulders. He can hear his heart beating in his ears. He’s sure everyone in the room can hear it. “I know, baby. He’s beautiful,” he’s all slimy and pink and proper disgusting, but he doesn’t think he’s ever seen anything more beautiful in his life.

“Alright, love,” Carrie says, standing. “We’re going to have to take this little one down to the nursery to get cleaned up. We’ll bring him back to you soon enough.”

Harry nods, wiping the tears from his face with the back of his hand. He hands the newborn off to the nurse who wraps him in the blanket she was holding and leaves the room. The doctor instructs him to push again so he can deliver the placenta; Louis doesn’t want to know what she does with that, he just keeps his eyes trained on Harry’s face.

His hair is falling out around his face and sticking to his temples and he’s flushed and sweaty, but Louis feels like he’s falling in love all over again.

“I love you,” he says suddenly, and the two women in the room _‘aw’_.

Harry beams up at him, chest starting to rise and fall at a regular pace. He wipes his hands on the blankets and puckers his lips for a kiss. Louis leans down and gives him a hard kiss on the mouth. “I love you too, Lou.”

“Are you ready to be moved to your postpartum room?” The doctor asks, arranging Harry’s blankets over his body neatly. “It’s just down the hall.”

He nods. “Yeah, I’m good.”

So another nurse comes in to help push Harry’s bed down the hallway and into his new recovery room. This room has two reclining chairs against the wall and less medical equipment. It feels more like a hotel room than a hospital room.

“Okay, Harry,” Carrie says. “You should try and get up and take a little shower.”

He grimaces at her. “I just gave birth, I don’t think I’m going anywhere for a while.”

“Everyone has to rinse off after they have a baby, bub. That’s just how it goes,” Gemma says.

The doctor smiles. “Your sister is right. And while you’re gone, we’ll change the sheets for you.”

He groans a bit. “Alright, alright. Lou, can you help me?”

“I’ve got you, love,” he says, holding his hands out for Harry to take. He throws his legs over the side of the bed slowly and stands on his feet with a wince, hunching over lightly.

“God, everything feels so _weird_ ,” he says.

“That’s normal,” Carrie says. “Don’t worry, you’ll begin to feel like yourself in no time. Just go slow because the blood loss and exhaustion may cause you to become a little dizzy, so Mr. Tomlinson, make sure you keep an eye on him because post-delivery fainting is very common.”

He nods. “Don’t worry, I will.”

“I’m gonna call dad, H,” Gemma says, pulling her phone from her pants pocket.

“Sure.”

“Could you also call Niall?” Louis asks, arm around Harry. “You have his number, right?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Okay, babe, let’s go,” he walks Harry slowly into the attached bathroom and locks the door behind them. It’s pretty damn clean in there, and he can tell that Harry is relieved. He turns the shower on and helps Harry out of his hospital gown and under the warm spray.

He washes his hair and his body gently for him with the soap and shampoo that was provided by the hospital while Harry leans against the tiled wall. He tucks his sopping hair behind his ears and rubs his bare back.

“Are you okay, baby?” he asks. “You’re a little pale.”

Harry yawns and blinks up at him. “I’m exhausted. Do you think I could have a little kip when we get out of here?”

“Of course, love. You deserve it.”

So Harry rinses off and Louis helps him step out of the small cubicle. He wraps him up in a towel that was hanging on a rack on the wall and holds him against his chest for a moment. “I’m so proud of you,” he whispers. He is so full of emotion right now and he doesn’t even know where to start in explaining to Harry just how he feels.

Harry smiles his little lopsided smile and says, “thank you.”

He kisses his head and begins to help him into the spare outfit they packed in the duffel bag, then Louis takes Harry’s damp hair and pulls it up into a makeshift bun. With five sisters he figured he’d be better at doing hair. When they step out of the bathroom, Gemma is sitting in one of the recliners fiddling with her phone.

“Have a nice shower?” She asks as Harry climbs slowly into the bed.

Louis arranges the fresh blankets over his body and tucks him in. He can almost feel the exhaustion radiating off of him. “Mhm,” he says and turns onto his side.

He kisses him on the cheek lightly. “Rest now, love. When you wake up we can see our little one.”

_Our little one._

He sees Harry smile.

**_***_ **

When Harry comes to his senses, the first thing he notices is that he’s alone, and that the room is in complete darkness. He spots his cellphone sitting on the bedside table and reaches for it. When he clicks the screen on, the time reads 5:32pm. He definitely needed that nap. He decides to call Louis, because who knows where he is right now, and the phone rings twice before the door to his room is opening and Louis is peeking his head around the corner.

“Hi,” he whispers.

Louis flicks the light on and he winces momentarily. “Hello, love,” he whispers back. “How are you feeling?”

Harry pushes himself up in the bed a little bit. “A little sore, but that’s normal,” he notices the plethora of flowers and teddy bears on the table across the room and smiles. “Who are those from?”

Louis comes over to the side of the bed and kisses the top of his head. “Your dad and sister, and the lads. They’re all in the waiting room.”

He nods. “When can I see my baby?” He’s starting to feel a little panicky not having him in his arms. Though he supposes that’s normal as well.

“Doctor Carrie said that once you woke up you can see them,” Louis says, smiling. “I’ll go fetch her now.”

He jogs out of the room and not even a second later there’s a soft knock on the door and his father is squeezing into the room trailed by Gemma and the three boys.

“There he is,” he says, smile nearly reaching his eyes.

“Hi everyone,” he gives them a tired smile. They all take turns hugging him gently and giving him their congratulations.

“We saw the little lad down at the nursery,” Zayn says, hands in the pockets of his jeans. “He’s gorgeous.”

They all agree, gazing at him fondly. Harry feels so warm and so… _loved_ in this moment.

The door opens and in walks Louis with Doctor Ross, pushing a glass cot up to the side of the bed. “Here’s your little man,” she says, lifting the swaddled newborn out of his cot and resting him in Harry’s awaiting arms.

“Oh, my boy,” he whispers, immediately bringing his son up to his face and kissing his little button nose.

“He definitely has your schnoz’,” Louis says, sitting on the edge of the bed next to him and wrapping his arm around his shoulders.

“That’s the one feature us Styles’ are the most proud of,” Gemma says, laughing lightly. “Our honkers.”

Harry bends his legs so his baby is cradled closer to his chest. “You have a beautiful nose, Sammy. Don’t listen to them,” he furrows his non-existent eyebrows in his sleep and starts opening and closing his mouth.

“Looks like he’s rooting,” The doctor says. “You’re going to have to feed him soon, hon.”

Harry nods, not taking his eyes away from his son. Looking down at this newborn in his arms, his _child_ , suddenly all the soreness and fatigue is gone and the only thing he can feel is his heart absolutely swelling in his chest. He’s so full of love for this little boy already he’s almost brought to tears.

“Love, Carrie needs you to sign the birth certificate now,” Louis says softly, rubbing his fingers against his shoulder.

He finally looks up to see the doctor holding a pen and a clipboard in her hands. “Oh, okay.”

“I’ll hold him for you,” Gemma volunteers, shooting her hand into the air. She comes over to the side of the bed and Harry gently lifts the baby into her arms. He suddenly feels so empty. He wants to be able to hold his son every second. It’s the best feeling in the world.

He takes the clipboard from the doctor and signs his name, leaving the other Parent spot blank. Then he signs his son’s name, _Samuel William Styles_. He hears Louis’ breath hitch next to him.

“You’re giving him my middle name?” He asks, almost breathlessly.

Harry smiles up at him, seeing the tears well in Louis’ eyes and says, “if he can’t have your last name, then I figured this is just as good for now.”

“One day he’ll have my last name,” he says, swallowing hard and kissing Harry’s temple. “One day my signature will be on that birth certificate.”

He’d be lying if he said he didn’t start crying.

**_***_ **

It’s after everyone goes home when Harry decides to feed his son for the first time. The nurse came in and showed him how it’s done, and now it’s just him and Louis in the room. And their baby, of course.

Louis’ sitting on the end of the bed near Harry’s legs watching as Harry has his son held up to his bare chest. The nurses and doctor all told him that this is the most vital bonding time between baby and parent, and he can see why. Little Sammy has his tiny hand curled around Harry’s finger and is staring up at him with the biggest blue eyes he’s ever seen. He’s trying his hardest to stay quiet and not burst into ugly sobbing so his son can concentrate on eating.

Louis keeps wiping his eyes with the hem of his T-shirt and making tiny sniffling sounds that almost matches the baby’s. “You both are so beautiful,” he says thickly. Harry looks up at him to see fat tears rolling down his cheeks, the tip of his nose bright red. “I’m so overwhelmed with emotion right now,” he admits.

That’s it, Harry’s gone. He starts crying softly as well, hugging the newborn against his bosom while he suckles contently. He doesn’t understand how this man sitting across from him manages to see the beauty in everything. He knows how he must look right now; bloated, tired, sweaty (even though he took a shower just a little bit ago. His hormones are making him feel disgustingly hot), and yet Louis is looking at him like he hung the stars.

“Me too,” he chokes out, not quite able to look him in the eye. He smiles down at his son, rubbing his silky cheek with the tip of his finger. “My boy, my sweet boy. Daddy loves you so much.”

“I’ve said this about a million times today already,” Louis lets out a wet laugh. “But I’m so, so proud of you, darling. You were so strong; you did such an amazing job.”

Harry feels his cheeks heat up and he smiles up at him. “Thank you for being amazing support. I wouldn’t have,” he takes a deep breath. “I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without you.”

Five months ago he thought he could’ve. He thought _fuck what mum has to say_ , but he was wrong. When he began to fall for Louis all those months ago, he suddenly knew he wasn’t strong enough to bring a child into this world on his own. Five months ago he would’ve called himself weak for feeling that way, but he’s begun to realize now that it’s not always a bad thing to need a little help. It doesn’t mean he isn’t strong, it just means that he’s human. He has to agree with Louis, he is strong. He did what was best for him and his son by leaving that heathen of a man, and it led him straight to the one person he really needed.

Louis’ lip quivers momentarily and he leans over Harry’s body to kiss him, long and sweet. “I love you,” he whispers when they pull away. He cranes his neck and kisses Sammy on the top of his head gingerly. Everything about Louis is so gentle. Harry missed being in a relationship where every word and every touch is soft. With Louis there’s no roughhousing or yelling or unneeded harshness. Everything with Louis is careful and loving and consensual. He deserves some delicateness in his life. And Louis is just the person who can give that to him.

**_***_ **

Since Louis decided to spend the night with Harry at the hospital (how could he possibly go home?), they were offered to be transferred into a private postpartum room with a foldout bed for him to sleep on beside Harry, but the fee was astronomical, so they just decided to stay put in the room they had. Louis didn’t plan on sleeping much anyway that night. He’d much rather keep an eye on the baby while Harry got some much needed rest.

It was around nine o’clock when Harry finally dozed off. He fed Sammy once more, then they had some dinner of their own, and he completely just conked out while they were in the middle of talking about how they’re going to spend their first day back home. Louis only chuckled quietly to himself and shut off the light. He wants him to get as much sleep as possible, because the next couple of weeks are going to be brutal on him. Especially when Louis has to go back to work.

He’s just sitting back down in the recliner when the baby starts fussing. Smiling, he stands and walks over to the cot. “What’s the matter, little one?” he asks, picking him up and sitting back down with the baby in his arms. He couldn’t possibly be hungry again, and taking a quick whiff he concluded that he doesn’t need to be changed. Sammy shuts his eyes and Louis bites back a laugh. “Oh, you just wanted to be held, didn’t you, you little stinker? Well, your wish is my command.”

He rests his right ankle over his left knee and relaxes into the leather chair. Harry is fast asleep in the bed across from him and he smiles looking at how calm and young he looks right now. He took his bun out a little while ago and his long hair is cascading around his face. He looks so soft. Aphrodite doesn’t stand a chance.

The baby in his arms makes a tiny mewling sound and Louis looks down to find him resting peacefully just like his father. He smiles, leaning down and kissing him lightly on his nose. “You are so loved already,” he whispers. “Your daddy and I are going to make sure you are the most spoiled little boy around. You deserve it, sweetheart,” he glances up at Harry to make sure he’s still sleeping before continuing. “You both deserve it. I’m going to give you guys all the unconditional love I have inside me.”

He stops for a second and listens to the sound of Harry’s quiet breathing across the room. When he speaks again, there’s a lump in his throat.

“I swear that I’ll be around for you, Sam. For you and your dad. I know what it feels like to grow up with only one parent, so I won’t abandoned you guys,” he can’t help the stream of tears at this point. He was never an emotional person before he met Harry. “I’m going to love you as if you were my own, darling. I’ll give you everything you and your daddy want and more.”

Louis wipes his free hand over his eyes and swallows down any more tears. He feels so full of adoration and love and he never thought he’d experience such a fierce devotion in his heart. He feels like a completely different person, a completely new and better person. All because of Harry and this little bundle of joy in his arms. He’s in awe of how lucky he is. He’s…dumbfounded, to say the least.

When the school year ended, he figured he’d spend his days at home, maybe go on a few dates, write up a curriculum for the next year. He never expected to fall in love in every possible way.

Louis glances at Harry, then back down to Sam. He places his finger in the baby’s open palm and smiles. “I can’t believe I fell in love with two beautiful boys this summer.”

_******* _

“Alright, guys, settle down,” Louis shuffles his papers against the top of the podium he stood at. The class quiets down a bit and looks at him expectantly. He pushes his further glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“Don’t tell me those are worksheets for us,” one of the girls in the front row says.

He smiles at her and steps out from behind the podium. “That they are, Brooke. Just a little something for you guys to write down what you did over the summer, nothing too strenuous.”

A majority of the class groans. One boy in the back row says, “come on, Mr. T, can’t we have a class discussion instead? I can’t remember how to write.”

He laughs. They’re all such jokesters. “Two months off and you guys already forget how to use a pen? Tsk, tsk. Alright, I guess we can talk instead,” he sits down on the corner of his desk and drops the stack papers behind him. Maybe he can use them for the next class. “So, Tristan. What did you do over summer break?”

Tristan stretches his arms above his head. “Went down to the shore.”

He nods. “Okay, exciting. Mara? What about you? Do anything fun?”

She sets her cellphone down on her desk. He should really confiscate those at the beginning of class, but they’re seniors. They won’t listen. “I went to America to visit my aunt and uncle.”

It takes Louis nearly half the period to get through his whole class, and after he’s finished asking the last student what they did over the summer break, a girl in the front, Jasmine, asks him, “What about you, Mr. Tomlinson? Have a good summer?”

He can feel the tips of his ears heat up and he nods.

“Oh, someone’s blushing!” One of the kids in the back of the room says.

“Mr. Tomlinson does not _blush_ ,” Louis laughs and sits down at the computer that’s hooked up to the SmartBoard and logs into his Facebook account.

“Can I add you on Facebook?” Someone asks.

He shakes his head, grinning. “After you graduate.”

Louis uses the remote control to turn the SmartBoard on. The class starts chattering excitedly when he clicks on the most recent photo he’s posted to his account. He took the picture just last night when Harry was sleeping in the nursery rocking chair with baby Sammy resting peacefully on his chest. He makes the image full screen and stands from the rolling chair, smiling at his class.

“Everyone, meet my little family.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please PLEASE leave feedback because I've never written a fic this long or detailed before y'all  
> I hope it was??? okay?????
> 
> twitter: queermaifoy  
> tumblr: aimhkink


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